Patience, Young One

James 5:7-11 Be patient, my brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer awaits the precious yield of the soil. He looks forward to it patiently while the soil receives the winter and spring rains. You, too, must be patient. Steady your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, my brothers, lest you be condemned. See! The judge stands at the gate. As your models in suffering hardships and in patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Those who have endured we call blessed. you have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and have seen what the Lord, who is compassionate and merciful did in the end.

Thoughts:  I have been struggling to be a good disciple of the Lord. It is not always easy. Two separate thoughts come to mind here. 

First, as disciples we are a bit like farmers, planting seeds. After we plant the seeds we must continue to nourish the soil and wait for the plants to sprout. We must be patient because the strongest of plants may take the longest to sprout. So, I must remind myself to not be discouraged if I don't see results right away. This was a very real lesson to me as I started my work as a disciple. I thought that immediately everyone should be right where I was. How foolish. 

Second, we must always keep the joy of Christ in our hearts. It is our joy and inner peace that will ultimately win people over for Christ. Pointing out others failings will not work. It is through love and compassion that we will win the battles for Jesus. We are not the judge. Only one can judge and we are not Him. God will reward our efforts but it will be in His time not ours. Our reward may not come until we die and can spend our eternity with Him. But when God does give us consolations here on earth we should enjoy the little glimpses of heaven.

Do what you can to soak in the times of consolation to give you strength to endure the times of desolation when God calls you to go deeper in your relationship.

Amen!