http://www.mediafire.com/file/svg3alxs58q6req/Patience%20and%20Faithfulness.mp3
“Patience and Faithfulness”
Brimfield Faith UMC / August 29, 2010 / James 5:7-11
Brimfield Faith UMC / August 29, 2010 / James 5:7-11
INTRO
We have arrived towards the end of our summer journey through James. James’ letter is one of the most unique and at times controversial letters in the New Testament. We have touched on a variety of issues relating to putting our faith into action. Next week, we’ll see James conclude his letter with a few parting words about prayer and faith. In the verses, we heard read this morning, James revisits one of the themes that he began his letter with. In James 1:2-4 it reads, “2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”
In chapter 5, we heard this theme of being patient in the face of suffering one more time. If you’re like me, an encouragement to be patient isn’t my favorite thing to hear. James starts with… “BE PATIENT!” At least that’s how I hear it. Patience is used four times. Stand firm a synonym once and perseverance twice. Do you think James has a point that he wants to make in this section of the letter. He wants us to be patient. Patience is important to James. It is not only a virtue but a fruit of the Spirit. Patience is evidence that God is working in your life. By exercising patience we keep ourselves out of trouble. Patience allows God to act in his perfect timing. James believes patience will lead us to a mature and complete faith. So he kindly, loving, pleadingly says, time and again, be patient!
By my estimation, there is only one problem with this… Telling someone to be patient is like telling someone to relax. Sure it sounds easy, but have you tried it relaxing when you are upset or anxious about something. Try telling the bride to relax on her wedding day probably isn’t going to help much. Patience is easier said than done. I should know because my family struggles with patience. We aren’t good waiters. We pace, we sit, we wait and ponder. Ask Michelle about delivering Caleb a week past his due date sometime. Needless to say, to hear James say, “Be patient,” isn’t the easiest word because we cannot will ourselves to be patient. Thankfully, James gives us some means by which to nurture a patient spirit within ourselves and to discover the fruit of patience in our lives.
WAITING
Before we talk about practices to nurture patience we need to acknowledge the difficulties of waiting. Waiting is one of the challenges of humanity. By its very nature, waiting implies we want something to happen sooner than it is. Waiting becomes even more difficult in the face of suffering. Waiting for the wounded soldier on the battlefield is harder than when Michelle is waiting for me to come home from the office. The Christians James writes to are waiting in the face of suffering. They are waiting for the Parousia or the Second Coming of Jesus. First Century Christians believed that Jesus’ return was imminent. As they waited for Jesus to come back to save them, they were being persecuted, robbed, and killed. Waiting was difficult and was creating problems among the people.
Most of us become impatient if we are left waiting too long. We become irritable, angry and frequently begin to complain. The ancient Christians were getting antsy waiting for God as well. They began complaining, backbiting and wavering in their commitment to the faith. James sees Christians engaging in hurtful behaviors when they should be engaging in practices to nurture their waiting. The key to patiently waiting is to know the God on whom you are waiting. I want to share two attributes of God that when we meditate and reflect on them will help us wait patiently.
#1. Remember that God is judge. (v. 9)
Listen to James 5:8-9: “You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!” James’ first reminder for those who struggle with patience is to remember that God is Judge. It is easy to forget this and begin to grumble against each other.
When we find ourselves waiting for someone or something, it is easy to start complaining and grumble about each other. We like to point fingers, place blame and find fault. Without understand the fullness of a situation, it can be easy to fall into such a position. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you get really upset about someone being late for something only to find out that they got a flat tire on their way. When we become impatient, we tend to judge before we have all of the facts. We want to jump ship instead of ride out the storm.
James tells us that not only is God the ultimate judge but he is standing at the door. While God is never to be rushed or hurried in his judgment, James understands that judgment is near at hand. James frequently refers to impending judgments upon wrongdoers and oppressors in his letter. He sees judgment at the final retribution against the rich and corrupt. As we eagerly await the judgment of the corrupt it is important to remember that God will judge everyone and each of us will be accountable for our actions.
God as Judge is an image we often try to gloss over. As we look closer, it is strewn throughout the Bible. God is not any judge though, he is a holy judge who hates sin and the effects it has upon us. We see this vividly depicted in Matthew 25:31-46: “33 [Jesus] will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left… Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…” These are harsh words and yet if God is a holy God, they are necessary. If God did not judge, he would be indifferent towards sin, injustice and corruption. God’s judgment is not about God being angry at the world; rather it is about God attempting to restore a broken world.
As we learn to properly embrace God as judge, it should lead us to a place of humility and patience. We learn walk in reverence and patience with God and knowing that God is at the door prepared to judge the world. In that place of patient humility, God is able to act on our behalf. Therefore, as we seek patience, remember that God is Judge.
#2. Remember that God is faithful. (v. 11)
The second attribute to remember is that God is faithful. In verses 10 and 11 James references the story of Job. Job in Hebrew culture was the epitome of patience and righteous suffering, even though the Old Testament book doesn’t quite read that way. Nonetheless, at the end of Job’s suffering, God acts generously and restores Job’s fortunes. In verse 11 James make this conclusion about Job and the character of God: “You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”
God does not ask us to wait without purpose. God is using what we perceive as a delay to bring about blessings. After all, the Lord is compassionate and merciful. I did some research about these two words because they felt important to nurturing patience. The word translated compassionate comes from the Greek root, spagizomi. Spagizomi refers to the innards parts or the guts of a person. In antiquity it was believed that the gut was the seat of heart-felt mercy and where true compassion originated. This word compassion then depicts God as a being deeply moved on our behalf. He is full of compassion for his people, especially those suffering.
The other word, merciful, reflects an emotion of sympathy, grief or pity. It conveys the sense that God shows sympathy to our present condition and will be moved to act. It also draws on the idea of God’s steadfast love. Ultimately, these two words teach us that God is faithful to act on our behalf. It is in the divine nature of God to respond in our times of need. It is almost as if God doesn’t have a choice. Therefore, we can trust God to act on our behalf. We will not leave or forsake us. In Psalm 103, the Psalm praises the attributes and actions of a good God. He says, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
When we meditate on the faithfulness of God, we will gain patience to endure difficult situations. Reading and re-reading Scriptures like Psalm 103 help sustain us. The repetition is helpful because it gets engrained into our souls. Then, when we find ourselves waiting in the face of suffering, trust and patience will ooze out of our beings.
SPIRITUAL JOURNALING
James opened this section up with a familiar image for his reader. He writes, “The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient.” To a person who has never planned a garden, watching someone put tiny seeds into the ground might seem ridiculous. It might look even crazier as the person simply sits around and waits for the seeds to grow, patiently waiting for the rains and the sun to nurture the plant to produce crops. Yet the experienced farmer knows that the fate of the plant rests largely in the hands of God. The farmer must patiently wait as God provides the necessary ingredients to produce a bountiful harvest.
The practice of spiritual journaling can help you to have patience like the farmer. It is a way to remember the character of God, and it reminds us helps us to remember how God acted in the past. It gives us confidence that God can and will act in a similar way again.
You can approach the act of journaling in a variety of ways. Begin by buying a special notebook to write in. Then, date each entry and write down the ways you experienced the faithfulness and blessings of God in your life. You don’t have to do it daily, although it can be helpful. In addition to writing down God’s activity in your life, I like to write down Scriptures that are speaking to me. As I record the Scripture, I might write how the verse pertains to my life or current situation. The final piece of spiritual journaling is to go back and read through it occasionally. Rereading your journal is just as important as writing in it. It serves as a form of memory which testifies to the fact that God is just and faithful. As you look back over a spiritual journal, you can gain clearer insights into the ways of God. We can often see better God’s reasoning and especially his time. It can promote more patience.
There are many other ways to nurture patience and God’s activity in your life. Remembering that God is judge and God is faithful will move us in the direction of patiently waiting on the Lord. If we will wait, God is able and willing to move powerfully in our lives.
Let’s pray.
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