Patience

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. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. James 5:7-8

Much of what takes place in my heart is the result of time. It’s as though time is the soil of maturity, where the seeds of faith I confess and hold on to grow and develop until Christ is formed in me. But for the most part, time and its necessary processes are difficult, and I find myself resenting that this is the way He has chosen to work out His purposes in me.

I read a long time ago that a respected leader when being questioned by his students about God’s use of time in character development, replied with the rhetorical question, “What would you rather be, an oak tree or a squash?” To gain the strength and maturity that is needed for this life, in His wisdom, God who lives outside of time, has purposed that it would be the means whereby His life is formed in us, and that through the processes of time, our roots would go down deep into Him. This is what Paul meant when he prayed that the Ephesians would be “rooted and grounded” in His love. He knew they needed to be established in Him, because that alone would ensure the fruitfulness they were created for. That happens over time.

We know that we live in a culture of “instant” everything; that we want what we want right now, and expect to get it when we want it. That is so true, except in the Christian life. James writes here encouraging those who had been scattered and persecuted because of their faith, to be patient. Patient like a farmer is patient, plowing, sowing, watering, tending, and waiting for a harvest that will surely come in the future. Each night he goes to bed knowing that his work that day was not in vain. Though he may not see the results after 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month, there will be a harvest. But first there would be seasons that would bring rain, seasons that would bring sun, and finally a season that would bring a harvest. So it is in God.

We endure patiently, standing firm as the roots of our faith go deep into the soil of time. Because beneath it all is the heart and grace of God, the provision for life in Jesus Christ. It is being worked in us and will be fully realized at His coming. In the meantime we remain faithful, stand firm, and wait. And just as we are certain that the change of season will come, so will He. We can count on it.

Teach me your ways Lord. I want to understand your dealings with my life and my heart. Help me to remain patient as you work in me. The goal isn’t today or tomorrow. The goal is what is mine throughout eternity. I trust you. Amen

R Martinez