Be Patient

James 5:7
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.

Have you ever prayed for patience only to find it being tested again and again? Have you ever come to certain roadblocks in your lives where you have to cry out, “How long, O LORD? How long?” Well, the Psalmist experienced that. (see Psalm 6:3, and especially Psalm 13).

Patience is a game that not many of us fare well. Patience is not a virtue that we extol nowadays too.

We city folks, tend to frown at the idea of waiting. Slow is a sin – it seems. It is hard to fathom the logic and goodness of waiting when we are told that everything can be sped up and no one should be made to wait. There is a conspiracy of the economy to suck us into addictive consumers without the means to pay for those things that we all want but can ill afford and could possibly do without.

The farmer has to do everything before waiting – he has to prepare the soil, take out the seeds, put them in the ground, water the crops and chase away the crows. He has to be in tune with the seasons, the weather and then act accordingly. So, the first lesson to learn in patience is to learn to listen. Just as the farmer pays close attention to the weather, we must cultivate a listening ear to God. Learn to listen before you leap. Pay close attention to our Creator’s instructions before you embark on anything. Patience is an attitude and it does pay off.

The farmer has to fold his hands after everything and just wait it out – for the natural elements to come and bring about the produce. So, the next lesson to learn from the farmer is this: you can’t hurry growth. You got to be patient. Parents understand this principle super well. Children need time to grow up – so too, we need time to grow into a patient being.

Third, there will be a harvest in due time. With spring and autumn rains, the earth nourishes the crops and the farmer just needs to remember to reap his rewards for waiting.

There is an end to our trials – if you are waiting for God’s deliverance; just like James’ readers.
There is an answer to our patience in faith. How long before the answer to our cry? James says, “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming.”

Meanwhile, be patient and hang on to the Lord.