Waiting patiently

“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. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” (James 5:7-9 NIV)

What are you like at waiting? Where have you spent time “waiting” recently? Perhaps it was in a queue at the canteen or waiting for a train or bus. It could have been an appointment at the doctors or waiting for test results. Wherever it was how did you cope? Did the minutes fly by or was it hours and days that seemed to “drag on”?

As a society we are not used to waiting or very good at handling delays. We depend on microwaves, emails and mobile phones, fast food and freeways. When things go slow or go wrong we don’t always handle it very well. We can become frustrated, angry and impatient. We may be like the person who prayed, “Lord give me patience and give it to me NOW!” We are driven by the urgent but not necessarily the important things of life. Our impatience can cause us to lose sight of what really matters. In contrast, the Bible urges us to be patient because we have a different view of what life is about.

Christians are told to, “Be patient, then, brothers until the Lord’s coming.” Life now is to be lived in the light of eternity. Human history will have a conclusion. The Lord will return to claim the world which He made. He will come as both Judge and Saviour. To those who place their trust in him his return will be a source of great joy. They will rejoice to see an end to suffering, injustice and evil. But for those who have ignored him or rejected his place in their lives it will be a time of judgement.

In the mean time we are urged to wait patiently. We are encouraged to learn from the farmer who sows his seed and then waits for the rain which will water his crop resulting in a harvest. This process requires faith and trust. There are no guarantees about when the rain will come. It is not like a microwave oven or an instant message. We are dependent on something and someone else beyond our control.

When we understand this principle we are less likely to grumble against others. We begin to see that we are all dependent on the mercy and goodness of God. Every breath is a gift from God. The delays and frustrations which cause us to “lose our cool” often seem less important than we first thought.

What are you like at waiting patiently? Do you look forward to Christ’s return?