Patience

Now James is about to step on all of our toes. He heals with the dreaded subject of patience. I think that we must live in the most impatient of cultures since time began. We are all in a hurry. We all want instant results. Toasters aren’t even fast enough for us anymore. Have you ever gotten mad at the toaster? I have. Then I realized I had it on broil. What about your internet. We upgrade to DSL and not even that is fast enough. We are an impatient people. We want everything instantly and our culture is doing its best to oblige us. Did you know that if you decide you want a new pair of shoes at 2:00 AM you can get them? All you have to do is take your credit card out, get on your computer and with a click of a mouse you’ve bought new shoes while wearing your pajamas. Remember when you used to have to wait a couple of days for election results? Now we have them instantly. That’s what we want. On election night ride up to the courthouse around 7:00 AM and you’ll see just how impatient our own community can be. There’s a huge crowd up there!

In these passages James gives us three examples of patience. He gives us the example of the farmer, the example of the prophets and the example of Job. We’re going to look at each of these and see how they relate to our lives. But first, let’s notice a couple of things. Notice how many references to patience we see in these verses. Three references are in verse 7, one in verse 8, one in verse 10 and one in verse 11. Two times we are commanded to be patient. Also notice where this appeal to patience is located in the letter. We are at the end of this book. James seems to be ending with a call to patience. He knows that patience is one of the most important things that we need to live for the Lord. Let’s jump into the text and see what we can learn.

The first example is the example of the farmer. James compels the people to be patient until the Lord returns. He says in verse 8 that that day is near. The coming of Christ is compared to a day of harvest. On that day the wheat is separated from the chaff. The wheat is gathered into the barn and the chaff is thrown into the fire. That symbolizes reward and judgment. Nothing ought to encourage us more than the second coming of Christ. Consider what will happen to the believer when Christ returns.

The believer will be rescued from this world. We are surrounded by death, ungodliness, and suffering among other things. If you know the Lord you ought to feel out of place in this world. It is a cursed world and you are a blessed person. It is a dying world and you are a living person. It is a sinful world and you are a righteous person. Believers are pilgrims and strangers in this world. We have nothing in this world to keep us here. Our loved ones are in heaven, our Father is in heaven, our rewards are in heaven and our home is in heaven. Soon we will be rescued from this world.

The believer will be renewed. We don’t go to heaven with the same body we have now. In the twinkling of an eye we will be changed. Our fleshly body will be replaced with a heavenly one. We’ll never lose our hair again. Sickness will not even be possible. There will be no funeral home in heaven, no graveyards and no hospitals. We won’t need the flu shot, vitamins or hand sanitizer! As well, we will be delivered from our sinful nature. We will not even have the desire to sin again. Believers will be completely renewed when Christ returns.

The believer will be rewarded. We all get a mansion. That’s an entry level gift. But we are also rewarded for the work we did for the Lord. In heaven we realize that nothing we did for the Lord was in vain. We mowed the Lord’s grass, we cleaned the Lord’s church, and we encouraged the Lord’s people. We witnessed to a lost soul, fed a hungry person, assisted a person that was on hard times, and the Lord took note of it all. The believer will be rewarded when Christ returns.

As we wait on our Lord to return and anticipate the rewards that He will bring with Him, what can we learn from the farmer? Let’s consider that.

Some things are out of our control. The farmer knows that. He is limited in what he can do. He can plant, fertilize, weed, etc. But without rain the crops just wouldn’t make it. And there is one thing that the farmer definitely cannot do. He can’t make it rain. We are a limited people. I know that you are probably like me. You wish you could make it rain. Wouldn’t that be great? I mean if we could just make everything happen that we want to happen. But we can’t folks. Some would say “Why go through all the trouble of plowing and planting if you don’t know you’ll get a harvest?” A lot of people are right there. Why work hard if you may not get the promotion? Some would think that they shouldn’t work at their marriage because the other spouse isn’t going to change anyway. Ministry is a lot like that. Those who are trying to do a work for the Lord often feel like giving up as they see a lack of interest from people. Folks we have to understand that some things are just out of our control. We can’t make it rain. We can do all we know, but in the end we just have to wait on the Lord.

James mentions the early and the latter rains. The early rains were the rains that came right after the wheat was planted. In James culture that would have been around October-November. The latter rain would have been around April-May as the grain was maturing. These two rains were extremely important. I want to throw in something here just for thought. What if the rain didn’t come? I mean, what if the harvest completely failed. I’ll bet you have seen some failure in your life. What happens when it doesn’t rain after all of the sweat and tears we have poured out over the harvest? I’ll tell you what happens, God feeds you anyway. Psalm 37:25 says “I have been young and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread”. In fact, the failure of the harvest may just prove to us that God is in control more than anything else. Because then we see ourselves at a time when we should be starving to death, yet we are still fed. Sometimes we think if something doesn’t come to pass that we just couldn’t make it. Maybe it’s a job situation. Maybe it’s a relationship. Maybe it has to do with our health. Whatever it is we think “I can’t make it unless this happens!” Then it doesn’t happen. And guess what. We still make it. Do you know why? Because God is in control. Be patient. Some things are out of you control, but nothing is out of God’s control.

Stand firm. James says in verse 8 “establish your hearts”. That means to be determined. To be strong and stable. To be patient means to not give up. Could you imagine what would happen to the farmer if he was not determined to let his crop grow? He gets to looking at his corn and then thinks “I should have planted wheat”. He pulls up the corn and replaces it with wheat. Then a few weeks later he changes his mind again. He just keeps digging up and replanting. When harvest time comes he won’t have anything. The farmer has to be determined and committed to the crop he has planted. If he is constantly second guessing and over analyzing his decision, he’s going to be in trouble.

Impatience makes us quit. If we are a person who is always trying new things it could be because we’re always quitting old things. I’m trying to learn to play the guitar. Man, it’s tough. I just want to quit. But then I remind myself that it’s something that I’d really like to do. Some people learn fast and I’m obviously not “some people”. I want to be a good husband and father. Sometimes I’m not so good at that. But I’m not going to quit. Folks we can’t just keep starting new things. We have to stick with stuff if we want to see results. We have to be established, determined, and committed. Most of our lives look like little mushroom field. They are full of cute little mushrooms that grew up overnight. They are colorful and neat to look at. But sadly they are gone in a few days. God wants our lives to be full of strong cedars and oaks. It takes a long time to grow them, but they bring a lot more benefit than cute little mushrooms. We have to be like the farmer and stand firm.

The harvest is worth the wait. Harvest time is a time of celebration for the farmer. The celebration of the harvest erases the memory of the hard work. It’s a time of great joy. Galatians 6:9 says “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due time we shall reap if we faint not”. Waiting 3 1/2 years on my BA degree was extremely hard. But it was worth it. Waiting on my wife was a hard thing to do. The single life was difficult for me. But it was worth the wait. Waiting nine months on my kids wasn’t easy either. But it was worth the wait. Impatience causes us to be nearsighted. We can’t see the blessings God has for us in the future. All we see are circumstances that we are not enjoying.

In order to be patient, we have to keep our eyes on the prize. And that prize has to be Christ. If our desire is simply something we can get in this world, we will become impatient. Our greatest desire has to be Christ. That’s who we are ultimately waiting on. We want to be with Him. We want to be like Him. We want to see Him, hear Him, and be near Him. Isaiah 40:31 says “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint”. Do you know how those folks keep running and walking. They do it because they are waiting on the Lord. They are not waiting on their circumstances to change. They are not waiting on something that can rust or be eaten by moths. They are waiting on the Lord. When we are waiting on Him it’s a lot easier to be patient. We know He is not going to let us down. We know that He will do what He has promised.

The second example James gives us is of the prophets. The prophets were God’s spokesmen. For that reason, they were not always the most popular of folks. They had to say things people didn’t want to hear. For that reason they suffered affliction. They were ridiculed, imprisoned, beaten and even killed. Jesus said to Jerusalem “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto you” (Matt. 23:37). Men like John the Baptist and Stephen in the New Testament were killed for the words of God that they spoke. It would have been easy for the prophets to grow impatient with God or with the people. They could have easily quit. But they remained patient. James says they are an example to us.

The word “patience” in these passages is different than the one used in the beginning of the letter (1:4). That Greek word is used to describe patience in circumstances. The one used here is one that is used when dealing with people. It comes from two Greek words that mean “to be long tempered”. So it means that we are not to get quickly mad at a person or give up too quickly on a person. Look at verse 9. James says “Grudge not against one another”. “Grudge” is a word that describes an inner resentment. We know what happens to inner resentment, eventually it becomes outer resentment! No matter who you are or what you do, eventually people are going to say mean and hurtful things to you or about you. People are going to treat you rudely. The actions of people are going to hurt you, offend you and get on your nerves. People will try your patience.

Notice what James says in verse 9. He warns the church. He says “You guys are talking about each other and the Lord has His ear to the door!” I do that with my kids sometimes. I’ll hear something going on in one of their rooms. They’ll be in there arguing with the door closed. I’ll sneak up to the door and just listen. Then I’ll bust in like I’m on an episode of COPS and start doing what daddy’s do. It really does work. You don’t have to ask who said what. Sometimes I am able to do that. But God is always doing that. He hears the grumbling and complaining we engage in. He knows what we are saying about one another. Now that is meant in two ways. Let’s consider them.

It’s meant to warn us. Believers are not above experiencing the judgment of God. Paul tells us that we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). Do you know how you lose rewards? You do it by complaining and gossiping about people. Did you know that you can do all kinds of things in the church, but if you complain about how much you do and put down others for not doing as much as you, you’re not going to get any rewards for it? That’s a truth I think we all need to learn. Too often holy huddles form in churches and gossip about people that are not in their huddle. Folks that’s wrong. People who are self righteous kind of attract one another. Gossipers are always looking for someone who will listen to them and gossip with them. That’s how holy huddles form. Let me give you some real good advice. I’m serious. You need to really listen to me. If you are always talking to the same couple of people in church you need to be careful. That’s how holy huddles form. You see each other at church, you talk on the phone, and you have dinner together. Before you know it you are talking about people in the church. That’s a good way to kill your church and to lose rewards in heaven. Evaluate your conversations. James says the Judge is standing at the door. The person you are complaining about may not hear you, but Christ does. He hears you and He is not pleased.

It’s meant to comfort us. It comforts us because we know that God is aware when people criticize us. If you come to church somebody is going to criticize you. Sometimes it’s the world, sometimes it’s the church. I’m not saying it doesn’t hurt. It does hurt. I’m hurt most, as a pastor, when I hear the complaints of people in the church about others in the church. The overwhelming majority of the time the complaints are unnecessary and many times they are unwarranted. I’m hurt when people complain about me. Mainly because they never come to me. They just kind of start giving you an attitude, or you hear it from someone else. It’s easy to allow yourself to get mad at those times. But that’s not what the Lord has called us to do. He has called us to be patient with people.

I’m comforted by the fact that God can change those people. He can change their heart. I know that if I’ll pray for them that will do a lot more than complaining does. They are not going to quit putting others down and gossiping just because I get mad at them for it. They need to see their hearts. They need God to show them their sin. If He doesn’t do that, there is nothing I can do. So if others are criticizing you, just know that God sees it. He can change them. That’s what

kept the prophets going. That’s what will keep us going.

The final example James gives us is the example of Job. The patience of Job is documented in the book of the Bible that bears his name. If anyone was ever tempted to give up on God it was Job. He lost his finances, his family, and his health and even got to the place where he felt like God had deserted him. Job had his ups and downs. At times it seemed like he was ready to give up. But he kept hanging on. All he had left was a wife that told him to give up and self righteous friends that offered nothing but condemnation. But Job was patient. In the end the Lord blessed Job with more than he could have ever imagined. Job found out that God is merciful and compassionate.

Job found true happiness because he endured life’s struggles to the end. James tells us that truly happy people are the ones that endure, the ones that are patient. Have you ever noticed that impatient people are grumpy? They get grumpy at the waitress. They get grumpy at the car in front of them. They are grumpy with their coworkers. Impatience will turn you into a grumpy person. The happiest people you will ever meet are patient people. Patient believers are convinced that no matter what comes their way, in the end God will prove that He is good.

Job could have cited a lot of reasons to give up. I mean if Job had been impatient and you asked him “Job why are you so impatient?” he could have given you a good answer. He may have said something like “Well I don’t know. Everything I have worked for has been destroyed. My kids are dead. My wife thinks I’m a loser. My friends are idiots. I’ve got this disease all over my body. And to top it all off, God allowed this!” He had a lot of reasons to give up. But he didn’t. And in the end, he was glad he didn’t. Let’s think about some truths that will help us when we are faced with the desire to just give up.

Nothing instant is as good as homemade. Whether it’s coffee or tea. Whether it’s mashed potatoes or stove top stuffing. It’s always better if it’s homemade. Now it takes longer to brew a pot of tea or coffee. It takes longer to peel potatoes or to make cornbread dressing. It takes a little patience to make these things. But the benefit is so much better. Patience makes us stronger and better people. Contrary to popular belief, if we got what we wanted when we wanted it, we would not be happier. Because then we would just want more and want it more quickly. God forces us to wait so that we will be better people. God develops His character in us while we wait. Life would not be better, it would be worse if God were like a genie. We would all be a bunch of spoiled brats.

When we are waiting we learn things about ourselves that we need to know. I had a friend in college that I thought was a pretty godly guy. Then I rode in the car with him. This guy was like a maniac. He was blowing the horn and yelling, and I’m not exaggerating. Jennifer was with me. This guy had me scared to death. I have never seen anyone get so mad at people they didn’t know. There was something about the way that other people drove that just brought the worst out of him. We all have to wait. We wait at the bank. We wait at the doctor. And we have to wait for trials to pass. While we wait we ought to take note of our character. Are we complaining? Are we recognizing the incompetence of others? If we are, God has us waiting so that we will see that character flaw in our life. That’s God’s way of saying “Look at you”. If we didn’t have to wait we might not see that. God wants us to deal with sin. He places us in situations to show us our sin. It’s important that when people or circumstances bother us, we remain patient.

Our circumstances should not determine our level of joy. Impatience and anger go hand in hand, as we have already said. If you can’t experience the joy of the Lord in your circumstances then you are not walking in the Spirit. Some people just can’t be happy if they don’t have their way. They believe they know what is best for their life. As well, they usually know what is best for everybody else too. They let their feelings be known most of the time. But do you know what. People don’t generally listen to these people. Do you know why? Because nobody wants to be like them. They are always upset. They are always mad. They can’t be happy, because they can’t always have their way in their timing. If you don’t have joy when you don’t get your way, then you don’t have joy to begin with. Patience allows us to have joy despite our circumstances.

Folks, we need to be patient. We need to be patient in ministry, patient with people and patient with life. When we lose our patience, we lose our rewards. When we lose our patience, we lose our temper. When we lose our patience, we lose our joy. Do you know how you learn to be a patient person? You practice. You practice by being patient. When you feel like giving up, keep on going. When you feel like complaining about people, pray for them instead. When you feel like getting mad at God, trust in Him instead. Godly patience isn’t just waiting. It’s waiting in a Christ like way. It’s being like Jesus while you are waiting for the storm to pass. If we know Christ, we have the power to do that. If you don’t know Him, recognize how patient He has been with you. Turn from your sins, put your faith in Him and confess Him as Lord and Savior.