Patience

As our society continues to advance in technology, our world seems to go faster. The microwave is a great example. There was a time when cooking a meal took at least 30 minutes; now, we can microwave a meal in just 5 minutes. We went from horse and buggy to vehicles that go a lot faster than we need to be going. We do this for the sake of time. These changes, although very helpful, have also made us very impatient. We have windows we can drive up to and get a meal that we ordered in a short amount of time, usually.  We are busy people who have expectations of things being done quickly. When that doesn’t happen, we can get grumpy.

Sadly, this has carried over into our spiritual life. We witness to people and we expect immediate salvation to happen. We create new ministries, and we expect that ministry to explode with people. When this doesn’t happen, we can grow impatient. Many times, we will quit trying because we don’t see the results we are hoping for.

Welcome to the devotion that was meant for me. James 5:7-8, the Holy Spirit speaks in a very calm and powerful way about this topic. “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” James just throws it out there with the words, “Be Patient.” How long are we to be patient? Until the Lord comes. Now these are people that are being mistreated and abused, and James is telling them to be patient. We in America are not facing this, but we do get impatient with the world around us and with those whom we are trying to minister to. James gives us the example of a farmer. The farmer plants, and he weeds, and he waits. The farmer is also dependent upon things that are out of his control. He has done everything he knows to do. But he must wait for rain; without rain, there will not be a harvest. Even with rain, it takes time before the seeds grow into plants and produce fruit. We too, like farmers, are called to be patient in our ministry and our lives. We do what we know to do, which we can control, but then we must also remember that some things are just out of our control. The gospel being received in a lost person’s heart is out of our control. There are things that we can do, and should do, to prepare, but at the end of the day, the results are in the Lord’s hands, not ours. James tells his people to strengthen their hearts because the Lord is coming, and His coming is near. So, whether we are struggling in life or just frustrated with circumstances and lack of movement in our ministries, be patient; the coming of the Lord is near.