20-08-26 What do you do when it seems like God is not in a hurry

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE IN A HURRY, BUT GOD IS NOT?
James 5:7-12

BE PATIENT … ESTABLISH YOUR HEARTS, FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD IS AT HAND.
Lessons from James 5:7-12

WHAT IS PATIENCE?
Patience is “waiting without complaint” or to endure discomfort without complaint”. 

WHAT IS PATIENCE? WEBSTER DICTIONARY
Patience is “the quality of enduring pain, hardship, provocation, or annoyance with calmness”. Calm willingness to tolerate delay.  
Perseverance is “steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness.” Perseverance lays stress on a given course of action in the face of difficulty or opposition.
Endurance is “the act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship or stress.” Endurance more strongly adds the idea of continuing under resistance or the adversities of life, to carry on in spite of hardships.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PATIENT?
The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
Vine’s dictionary of the bible:
“Long-suffering” – is that quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish; it’s the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy, and is used of God – Exodus 34:6; Rom 2:4; 1 Pet 3:20

WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING OUR WAY, PATIENCE IS EASY TO DEMONSTRATE.
The true test of patience comes when our rights are violated;
when another car cuts us off in traffic; and bumper-to-bumper traffic…
when we are treated unfairly;
when others mock us or take advantage of us;
When we are looking for the perfect job, waiting for a life partner, hoping to conceive children, or being the victim an injustice,
When we are on long lines at the checkout counter or restaurant (you become the waiter and not the person serving you)
Impatience seems like a holy anger, at times. 

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF PATIENCE?

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF PATIENCE?
Human directed patience:
The type of patience needed when facing an annoying situation or nuisance of some kind. Luke 9:51-56
A person or a set of circumstances really irritates you, and you’d love to complain about it, or get rid of it but you hold your tongue, knowing that such a grievance would be petty or simply compound the problem.
Patience in dealing with annoying people.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF PATIENCE?
Adversity directed patience:
This type of patience is the most serious and significant. It is the patience required when one suffers in some way, either physically, mentally or psychologically. If you’re struggling with some disease, then patience is required of you. Whether you bear the burden of affliction directly or indirectly, your challenge is to endure that discomfort (my experience).

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF PATIENCE?
Patience with God: The most challenging at times is the patience with God.
In every Christian’s life there comes a time when one must wait upon God. Sometimes we must wait for a need to be met, such as finding a job. Other times we must wait for the satisfaction of a significant desire, like finding a spouse or conceiving a child. At other times we wait for God to fulfill a promise, to comfort during a trial, or to give us assurance of our forgiveness for some sin. In these cases, we must be patient with God.

WHY PATIENCE IS SO DIFFICULT?
First, why is patience with other people so difficult?
“All human beings are sinners and therefore selfish and annoying.”
The “egocentric predicament,” which is the natural human condition of being immediately aware only of one’s own thoughts and feelings.
Temperament: Our particular strengths and weaknesses are different than others. One person is even-tempered and can’t understand why her friend goes crazy over little things at times. But the person with the bad temper cannot understand how her even-keeled friend can be habitually late to meetings. And both of them get annoyed at a third friend’s tendency to overeat.

WHY IS PATIENCE TOWARD GOD SO DIFFICULT?
We see things only from our own point of view.
Patience with God involves faith, and to exercise faith is to surrender final control of one’s life. So our patience with God will only be as strong as our ability to overcome this desire and surrender every aspect of our lives.
Patience with God is a challenge, too, because Sometimes it’s simply unclear whether God wants us to wait or take another course of action. ” The person desiring a spouse might second-guess herself, “Have I taken the right social steps?” And the childless couple might wonder, “Should we pursue clinical help in order to conceive?” Finally, and most difficult of all, there’s no guarantee that God will, indeed, act to satisfy our desires. (Ps. 37:4).

WE NEED PATIENCE WHEN WE FACE DIFFICULTY
Makrothumia – Greek for “patience” – stresses nonretaliation or to hold one’s spirit in check.
This aspect of patience is the ability to suffer a long time under the mistreatment of others without growing resentful or bitter.
When do you need this type of patience? When you face malicious wrongs, ridicule, scorn, insults on social media, undeserved rebukes or outright persecution. Victim of office politics; spousal mistreatment

WE NEED PATIENCE WHEN WE FACE DIFFICULTY
Jesus – Heb 12:1-3 (disregarding the current shame, defamation, insults for a greater glory); 1 Pet 2:21-23
Lesson 1 – “See how the farmer waits” – James 5:7: the believer who is facing hostility must demonstrate a willingness to wait for vindication – like a farmer waits for the rain, we have to learn to wait for the Lord’s return or intervention and not get upset with difficult circumstances. Heb 6:15
Lesson 2 – James 5:8: This waiting is not to be passive (just sitting around waiting for God to intervene) – but we need to strengthen and make firm our inner lives while waiting. 2 Cor 6:3-13

WE NEED PATIENCE WHEN WE FACE DISAPPOINTMENT
James 5:9 – When we are disappointed, we often grumble or complain or lash out at others because of what we are dealing with (read other bible translations). It is easier to complain about the role others have played or not played when we face disappointment. We all know how to blame.
Lesson: James is talking about how we are to act when we are facing difficulty or disappointing situations. When we blame, it shows we are not depending on God, but others around us. Lev 19:18; Matt 6:14

WE NEED PATIENCE WHEN WE FACE DISAPPROVAL OR CONDEMNATION
See the examples of those who faced disapproval in the bible, so you do not lose heart. James 5:10-11 – Job; David and Saul; Moses and Israel
Lesson: The prophets suffered not because they did wrong but because they were doing right. They were disapproved by their people and persecuted for their testimony. At times you may suffer not because you have done anything wrong to deserve it, but God wants you to endure.
James 1:6-7; 4:12-13; Matt 5:10-12; Acts 7:52
Trials produce durability and maturity

WE NEED PATIENCE WHEN WE FACE DISASTER
Hupomeno in Greek means “steadfast endurance.” See Job’s example James 5:11
Longsuffering (makrothumia) usually describes the attitude that a person manifests when pressured by other people; while patience (hupomena) usually denotes the response to circumstances.
See Job’s reaction to multiple negative reports in 1:14-19; 19:25-27; 42:5-6, 10-13; James 1:4

WE NEED PATIENCE WHEN WE FACE DISHONESTY
James 5:12; Matt 5:33-37; 23:16-22
People are dishonest today. They lie to you and don’t keep promises and expect you to still stay there waiting on them.
How do deal with people who swear an oath and don’t keep it?

HOW DO WE ESTABLISH YOUR HEART? PS. 27:14; 37:7A; PHIL 4:5

HOW PATIENCE IS DEVELOPED
It’s been said that nothing teaches like experience. This is why James tells us to “consider it pure joy … whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4). 
“Pampered bodies grow sluggish through sloth; not work but movement and their own weight exhausts them. Prosperity unbruised cannot endure a single blow, but a man who has been at a constant feud with misfortunes acquires skin calloused by suffering; he yields to no evil and even if he stumbles carries the fight on upon his knee”.
Misfortunes are designed to build virtue in us, and among the virtues gained through difficulty is patience.

IS IT EVER OKAY TO COMPLAIN?
To complain is to make known one’s irritation or frustration about some matter. This doesn’t necessarily imply that we should say anything out loud. Usually we complain by speaking directly about the circumstance that bothers us. But we also complain in nonverbal ways, with a sigh, a huff, a shake of the head, or a roll of the eyes. Many of us are quite expert at communicating our irritation in subtle ways to those closest to us, through means that most people wouldn’t recognize as complaining.
Which complaints, then, are worthy? Psalm 10:1; 44:24; 142:2