Amy Kelley

James 5:7-12 (CEB)

7 Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the coming of the Lord. Consider the farmer who waits patiently for the coming of rain in the fall and spring, looking forward to the precious fruit of the earth. 8 You also must wait patiently, strengthening your resolve, because the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t complain about each other, brothers and sisters, so that you won’t be judged. Look! The judge is standing at the door!

10 Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of patient resolve and steadfastness. 11 Look at how we honor those who have practiced endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job. And you have seen what the Lord has accomplished, for the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Final instructions

12 Most important, my brothers and sisters, never make a solemn pledge—neither by heaven nor earth, nor by anything else. Instead, speak with a simple “Yes” or “No,” or else you may fall under judgment.

 

REFLECTION:

Can you count the times you’ve heard your parents and teachers, growing up, say things like “Be patient!” or “Just wait!”? What about when a boo-boo hurt, or you had to wear a cast and the pain or itching was driving you crazy? An adult would say, “Give it time. It will get better.” It seemed like an eternity. Being put in time out or being grounded felt like it lasted decades. As we grow things get more serious, and our patience must also grow. Then a time comes when we can look back and think, “wow, I made it”, even if it felt like the pain would last a lifetime. We must find a way to marry patience and courage.

 

In verses 7-11, James reminds us to be patient. Most of the time, that is possible. As adults, we say phrases like “hang in there” or “this is just a season”. But it’s hard to “hang in there” when you’re waiting for lab results to come back clear. Or when you’re hoping you make it through another round of layoffs at your work. Or when a loved one is sick and you’re praying they make it through the night. Amidst that suffering, we can dig deep and find that courageous patience James is talking about—the courageous patience that has been growing in us all along.

 

Digging deep means digging within your God-given heart and soul to discover what God has already placed there: COURAGEOUS PATIENCE. Here are some ways we can do that:

  1. Look forward (v.7) to God’s promises
  2. Strengthen your resolve (v.8) through prayer and scripture
  3. Don’t complain each other (v.9)
  4. Stand and build on the faith of those that came before you (v.10)
  5. Acknowledge what our amazing God has already done (v.11)

 

Here’s where James just cracks me up! He throws in this random, yet profound word of advice: Let your yes be a yes, and your no be a no without all the extra fluff and unnecessary words. I love that! Just as he lays that out so simply, so is the love of God. God’s love is not complicated. God promised to never leave us. God told us that God will always provide all that we need to get through the suffering. We can dig deep, breathe, pray and wait with courageous patience.

 

PRAYER:

Loving God,

I look to You because you are my Rock. I don’t always have the patience of Job or that sweet couple down the street. You’re Son, Jesus, showed me how to not complain, but to speak with love and compassion. And even humor! Remind me that I am not alone in my suffering. Many have gone before me to show what courageous patience looks like. Keep my heart and soul stirred up for you. I love You. Amen.