James 5:7-11

 

The audience James was writing to apparently lacked patience. Humans are impatient by nature. We want what we want and we want it now. Even before the invention of the microwave, phones, computers, and the internet, we were impatient, as seen in those James was writing to. 

 

Big idea: if you are growing in Christ, you should be growing in patience. 

 

John Calvin once wrote “patience is the evidence of our fath, that we trust God.” The scripture today will show us how to grow in patience and grow our faith in turn. 

 

Four essentials for growing in patience: 

  1. Trust in the Lord’s timing (vv. 7-8). … The Christian life has an element of patience and waiting until Jesus returns. We should view life from God’s perspective, which is completely different from our own. James said the time was near, but that was nearly 2000 years ago. For God, 1000 years is nothing but the blink of an eye. God’s timing is always perfect, never late nor early. (You know the quote from Gandalf, go ahead and say it. And if you don’t, go watch the Lord of the Rings movies or read the books.)
  2. Guard against complaining (v. 9). … Complaining is often tied to sin. It’s easy to complain, easy to find something wrong with whatever is happening. It’s too hot, It’s too cold. It took too long or was over too quickly. There’s always something to complain about. Try to focus on being thankful for the good. Express gratitude whenever possible. Before asking God for anything, start by thanking Him what He  has given you. Practice gratitude and let it push complaining to the side. 
  3. Look back to God's faithfulness (vv. 10-11a). … Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Job, Daniel, and others all had to be patient in their trust of God. They all had to wait on God to fulfill His promises when the time was right, and He did. We can too. 
  4. Rest in God’s character (v. 11b). … We know God’s character from the Bible. Charles Spurgeon said “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.“ We can trust God to act in accordance with His character as revealed through the Bible. 

 

For believers, one aspect that should make patience easier, is that we know the plan. We know how it all ends and that God comes out victorious. We know we will go to Heaven. We know we have been saved. Knowing all of this helps us to remain patient despite setbacks. 

 

For Further Study/Resources Used to Prepare This Message

  • James by David Platt (Christ-Centered Exposition)
  • The Letter of James by Douglas J. Moo (Pillar)
  • James by Craig Blomberg & Mariam Kamell (Zondervan)
  • James: Faith That Works by R. Kent Hughes (Crossway)
  • BibleProject — “James Overview” video