Day 12: Patience

James 5:7-10

7 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. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

We live in a culture that cannot wait. We have to have something resolved immediately or as soon as humanly possible. We need an answer right away. American culture places value on quick thinking and decisiveness. But, as James commands, we need to have patience. We could benefit by having patience with others. If we have so much trouble trying to come to a conclusion on important decisions or questions in life, how much more might other people struggle? So many times we find ourselves at the forefront of our mind. Patience and selflessness walk hand in hand. We also need patience with circumstances in life. Often times, our ducks just don't line up for us. A lot of times it seems as if they never will. I think that patience is one of the most undervalued assets we can obtain. James exhorts us here to be patient until the coming of the Lord. We do not know the time or the season, but the time for patience is now.