Suffering - James 5:7-13

James 5:7–13 NLT

7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! 10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. 12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned. 13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

Suffering reveals what is under the surface in our souls and that which we have built our trust upon.

Suffering [κακοπάθεια = kakŏpathĕia] (1) Hardships; Painful labor (2) Suffering afflictions

Suffering is the times we hit difficult circumstances or personal pain we experience throughout life.

James gives 2 examples or parable-like illustrations to help us understand both types of suffering.

Example 1: Farmers who encounter painful labor and hardships.

complaining doesn’t help and laziness wont’ ready the fields

Suffering can produce perseverance with hope instead of impatient pessimism when limit complaining and keep walking faithfully.

continue work and do good. plant and reap. patient doesn’t mean we are idle..it’s means we are forcing outcomes.

work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God.

sometimes working seems laborious because others are working against us….Suffering can purify our hearts and strengthen our fidelity to Jesus. when others do me harm or mistreat me because of their selfish ambition, i can be at ease knowing God will bring justice, in this life or the judgement to come….it is so freeing to believe in biblical justice and the coming of Jesus as King and Ruler.

When you are waiting for a promise, live a holy life, keep your hope up, and work at solving the problems as they come.

Keep your standards high, no compromise and no complaining…produce strength not shame.

Example 2: Job who endured afflictions and experienced much personal pain.

look to others who have been faithful in painful seasons; not those who’ve abandoned God…we all want to be understood, so it’s human to look for others to empathize with our pain. look for someone who has walked through misery, not someone in co-misery.

cling to hope of Jesus’ return and not more evil in our world

Suffering of this sort, can cause us to cling to comforts in this world and distort our theology. we go inward and reject God and the Truth.

James warns us because Jesus warned us of it…making vows to protect from future pain doesn’t work

Matthew 5:33–37 (NLT) — 33 “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ 34 But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35 And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

Covenants are strong bonds built upon vows.‌

Human Vows are a counterfeit to the covenant. God creates, satan counterfeits.

God makes a holy covenant with himself, satan counterfeit it to get us to make a vow with ourselves, thinking we are lords of our lives.‌

Inner Vows are unholy commitments (oaths) turned inward that rely solely on your authority and reject God’s sovereign reign in that area of your life. We make these vows to protects our hearts and hurts, but they hold us prisoner within ungodly strongholds.

Whenever we focus a commitment inward, it becomes an inner vow. Mostly from painful event in our life that happens to us.

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EX: A young boy hears his mom say, I’m leaving/divorcing your dad. He doesn’t know how to process or articulate when he feels, the enemy capitalizes and says, “All women leave you. Don’t trust them.” So he builds a wall. Grows up, a beautiful gal likes him, he wants to grow in the relationship, but there is a wall. He can’t commit, but can't figure out why…so the relationship breaks. “See, women always leave.” The cycle repeats and he grows more insecure and decides to live taking all can, cause they eventually leave. He builds walls never allowing real intimacy to take place, because an event occurred that caused us deep pain and a lie came along.

standardized testing…couldn’t do a pull-up (still cannot) and don’t like to appear weak in front of others at the gym. It’s not a big deal, but it is an unhealed and unsurrended place in my soul…and i don’t find those environments all that “safe”

We bond ourselves to a commitment…”i’ll never get hurt again.” or “I’ll never be like my mom.” or “I’ll never let people see me like that” or “i can’t mess up or dad wont love me” or “my kids will never have to experience poverty….so now we are workaholics and greedy.

How do I know if i’ve made an unholy vow?

(1) Are you easily angered? Unholy vows, unsurrendered idols, and unhealed wounds all lead us to react in anger.

(2) Is there a pattern of behavior you can’t break out of?

How do we break an inner vow?

We must submit to HIM as LORD and ask Him to break the covenant or allow for him to fulfill the oath. His authority we submit to.

Numbers 30:1–5 “1 Then Moses summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 2 A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do. 3 “If a young woman makes a vow to the Lord or a pledge under oath while she is still living at her father’s home, 4 and her father hears of the vow or pledge and does not object to it, then all her vows and pledges will stand. 5 But if her father refuses to let her fulfill the vow or pledge on the day he hears of it, then all her vows and pledges will become invalid. The Lord will forgive her because her father would not let her fulfill them.”

When you are wading through pain submit to God’s holy authority and pursue God’s presence.

James tells us that there is HOPE amidst suffering. God is near; Jesus is coming again AND God is kind, merciful, and tender toward us.

Even within a covenant, we experience hardship despite our labor, and painful human experience in this life.

you need God’s mercy and tenderness in the moment

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PRACTICING THE WAY

As disciples of Jesus, we know our allegiance to Him as King is expressed in our daily practice. We are not pursuing perfection but want to practice our faith each day. These practices will point you toward spiritual formation as an apprentice (disciple) to Jesus.

(1) Start the Bible Recap reading plan.

(2) Recite this prayer/liturgy daily: “Jesus, you are my LORD and Savior. I submit my life to You today. Lead me. Guide me. Protect me. I choose to cling to hope. And when I face hardships, may I keep eagerly waiting for the promise of Your return. And when painful moments come, may I pursue Your presence and tender mercies. Amen.”

(3) Talk it Over (with friends, a spouse, or your Group)

The message was about enduring types of suffering with eager anticipation of Christ’s return. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?

Read James 5:7-13. What does this passage reveal about God? What are some other things you observe in the text?

What example does James use to illustrate the concept of patience? How does James describe the relationship between suffering and patience?

In what ways can suffering lead to a deeper faith in God?

How can Job's story influence our perspective on enduring suffering?

What practical steps can you take to avoid making unholy vows in your life?

What role does prayer play in processing our suffering?