From Ben Fronczek... Patience Boosters

Patience Boosters                                                                                                                                             

Reading: James 5:7-11  “Dear brothers and sisters,^[a] be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. ⁸ You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

⁹ Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

¹⁰ For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹ We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.” NLT

How many lessons have you heard, or have read of our need, as Christians, to become patient? Probably many times.

It is one of the fruits of a Spirit fill person as seen in Galatians 5:22.  Over and over in the Bible we read about the importance of becoming patient. In the book of Proverbs the wise teacher instructs us to be patient.

- In 14:29 he writes, “Whoever is patient has great understanding,
but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”                                                                                   

- In 15:18 he writes, “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.               

– In 16:32 he writes, “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.”   

- In 19:11 he writes, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”

The importance and encouragement to become patient is also seen over and over in the NT, especially in the apostle Paul’s writings.

– In Romans 12:12 he writes “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” 

- In Colossians 3:12 he writes, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”                          

- In Ephesians 4:2 he writes, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”       

-  In 1 Thess. 5:14 he writes, “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” 

Actually the English word ‘patient’ is a weak translation of the original Greek word used in James. It is really a compound word which means:  ‘to be longsuffering, slow to anger, slow to punish.’  The idea is to be self-restrained and not quick to retaliate. It is seen when one goes without complaining, giving up or striking out.

So why is our need to be patient such a big deal in scripture? I actually took some time to research some on the pro and cons of this topic. As I see it, the more you understand what patience is, and how it effects you,  you begin to realize that it really does have an effect on almost every part of our life.

It effects how you think, how you act, It can affect you emotionally, socially and even on a spiritual level. It can even affect you physically; how you feel. Those who are impatient experience a rise in blood pressure, an increase in anxiety and stress, and your over all happiness goes down.

Whereas those who learn to be more patient reap many rewards; for example:

- If you are more patient you reduce your stress level, your blood pressure, you won’t get as angry as often, you’ll sleep better, you’ll actually be healthier, and happier.

- More patient people can actually think clearer and make better decisions,  and they don’t make as many mistakes. Being more patient also enables a person to hang in there longer and work toward achieving goals and dreams.

- Being a patient person also helps one cope with difficulties, hardships and obstacles graciously and they respond to life’s challenges with more courage, strength and optimism.

- Learning to be a patient person also gives you a calmer spirit, and you have more peace of mind rather than being overwhelmed and frazzled all the time.

- And finally, more patient people usually have a better relationship with their spouse, family, friends and co-workers.

In our text today, I believe that James was writing to some Christians who we struggling, maybe oppressed or even persecuted. He instruct them to be patient and hang in there; be long suffering and not to grumble and complain, but realize that God has a great reward for those who hang in there and remain faithful to Him, for the Lord is sees all and is full of compassion and mercy.

I would like to believe that as James grew up with Jesus he observed one the most patient people who ever lived.  Jesus lived His whole time here without ever sinning once yet  He was surrounded by flawed and sinful people. He knew what it was to be patient and long suffering  when it came to living in a house with many siblings as well as a world full of  sinful and foolish men.

Here in James he illustrate some who have to wait before they are rewarded, like farmers who plant and then have to be patient and wait for the harvest.  He also mentions Job and the prophets chose not to give up on God, but were long suffering and patient, as they waited on upon God.

So how patient are you?  In my reading I came across some good suggestions to help boost our level of patience.  In her book, Ryan makes a comment that I agree with, that : “Patience is something you do, not something you have or don’t have. It’s a decision you make again and again. Patience is a quality that can be strengthened like a muscle.”

So, How to Develop Patience: In some ways its like exercising and developing a muscle. First of all its about making a choice and deciding to develop that muscle. Becoming more patient involves making some choices on how you are going to act or react in a certain situation. First we need to decide to make patience a goal. Try starting by deciding to do your best to be patient in all circumstances for the entire day, then purposely try it to 2 days, and then 3, and so on. Like exercise, the more you do it the easier it becomes.

Just like some of muscles are stronger and some are weaker, we are stronger and more patient with some things, and some people, but not so much with others. Take note of when you are less patient. Be more careful in those situations or with those people. Those areas where we are less patient are what you will have pay more attention to and work on more.

Also take note of how you feel. Are you tired, hungry, or off physically in some other way? Be aware of your weaknesses and be even more careful when you are not feeling 100 percent. If at all possible  when you feel off, try not to subject yourself to those things or people that frustrate you, bore you or set you off. Don’t go shopping at Walmart Friday evening if you are tired, hungry and a hurry to get home because you have a headache, because more than likely the lines of people will test your patience.   At least knowing your weaknesses will help you be a bit more cautious as you deal with the situation.

Get rest when you need it. Take care of your body. If you don’t, it will affect your mood.

#2) Practice thinking before you speak. If we pause and go over what we want to say, we can avoid hurting or offending others. Do you remember what James wrote in 1:19? He wrote “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”  

In other words slow down!   Take deep breaths to try to relax when you find yourself getting impatient and anxious. When we are stressed we tend to lose our patience and get frustrated.

#3) Next time you have to wait for something, it helps to take that free time to do something useful. Do something constructive while waiting. It keeps your mind and your time occupied and helps you avoid unnecessary stress from worrying and getting yourself uptight. Even plan what you are going to do before hand just in case you have to wait.  Pray, or make a mental note of the things that you need to do that day. Or you can sing a song.  When I have to wait as I get my vehicles worked on I always take a book, some paper and pen. I have prepared a number of good sermons and Bible studies as I sat there waiting.  It’s all about preparation; having a few things you can do in case you have to wait.   Plan ahead!

#4) Take the time to help others. For example, having to deal with the elderly and the hearing impaired definitely requires patience. By choosing to help others on a regular basis, such as watching children or the elderly, you will find yourself slowing down a bit and becoming more patient. Patience can bring out the compassionate side of you.

#5) Here is a real important one:– Realize daily that no one is perfect except Jesus.  So practice tolerating and loving people even though they are flawed. We are all flawed in one way or many. So even before you get out of bed in the morning, make a conscious effort to love people no matter what. Not their sin but the person. This will help.

James wrote in verse 9, “Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”   Decide to cut others some slack if they mess up. Learn to be patient and even cut yourself some slack when you mess up.

#6) Cultivate Faith.  I believe patience and faith walk hand in hand.  The more faith you have in yourself, in others, and in God the more patient you will be.   If you are a very patient person it is a sign that you trust and have faith in others, especially faith in God.

Hardship, difficulties and tragedies are part of life. They will test your faith. Believe in God’s providence and care. Believe that there is a purpose in all that happens and that setback may only be temporary.

#7) Don’t be too proud to ask for help. Many times we’re impatient because we’re overloaded. Someone once said, “There’s no prize at the end of your life for doing too much, particularly doing it in a frazzled state,”

#8) And finally, read, read, and learn from scripture. Over and over we not only see how patient God is with us, we also see how much we are encourage to do the same when it comes to dealing with others.  Being patient with others is actually a form of LOVE.  In 1 Cor. 13:4, Paul wrote, “ Love is patient.“

It is said that, ‘Patience is a virtue’. Why is that so?    Because learning to be patient make us better people.  I don’t know about you but I want to become a better person, the kind of person that God wants me to become

If you struggle with being patient you are not alone. Many times it’s just a matter of learning a little more and changing our frame of mind. I pray that our God will continue to be patient with us as we try to become more like Him.