James series – “The Litmus Test for life”

James 5:7-11

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. ⁹ Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! ¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.¹¹ As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

As we continue in our series “The Litmus Test for Life” we come to the 10th test, “The Patience Test.” It’s here that James transitions from pride to patience. Unfortunately, today patience is something we all want to possess but not something we want to practice. But the purpose behind our patience has to do with faithfully waiting on Christ’s return. Why do we need the patience, because it provides the power to be steadfast in times of uncertainty? Without patient trust instead of waiting we will end up worrying. Many times, instead of waiting on Jesus we end up worrying over the junk. James also reveals that as we patiently wait on Jesus we will live at peace with people. My prayer is that patience will not just be a principle we talk about but a practice we walk out. It’s here that first we see:

1. The Practice of Patience Vs 7

Notice here that we are not just called to possess patience but to put it into practice. But who or what produces the patience we are to put into practice? Patience is a product of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, not a product of our personality. Galatians 5:22 makes it clear that it is a fruit of the Spirit. When we make the mistake of tying patience to a personality trait we end up believing that some people are just more prone to be patient and usually we have determined that we are not one of them! Now while some personalities may be more laid back I want you to notice that James is not calling us to be laid back but to trust Jesus to come back. We don’t need any more laid-back believer we need bold believers whose eyes are firmly fixed on Jesus.  As we submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit he produces patience and we put it into practice. That is why patience is not something we produce but something we practice. It’s critical that we don’t make the mistake of trying to produce patience in our strength, it’s not tied to trying harder its tied to trusting the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately patience is the fruit we are most likely to try and pass on, and one of the reasons we dislike it has to do with the greenhouse in which it is best grown. Patience is best developed through difficulties. Contrary to what we want patience is cultivated in the challenges not in the coddling. Remember James was preaching to persecuted believers and calling them to be patience in the midst of their pain and problems. 

While we want to grow in the good times the truth is that most growth occurs in the groaning times. Here in verse 7 James reveals what putting patience into practice looks like as he uses the perfect analogy, that of a farmer waiting and working for the fruitful harvest. Where in your life do you need to trust Jesus more?