"Patience is the ability to keep your motor idling, when you feel like stripping your gears." James exhorts us as believers to spiritual patience. Christians of the early century suffered some severe injustices at the hands of their op pressors. There was no let-up to be seen. They knew that things would only get worse until the Lord would return. James may have feared that some Christians would retaliate against the wicked rich, taking vio lent measures to alleviate their own economic burdens. This he cau tions against by remembering that Christ is coming again (I John 3:3). The different Greek words are both translated "be patient" in the New Testament. In this portion it means not to lose heart and to persevere bravely. It has to do with bearing offenses and injuries with out striking back. It is the kind of forebearance which refuses to re act in anger against irritable people. The other word signifies how we should stay steady under pressures, holding fast to something. How we desperately need both long-suffer ing and steadfastness. How long do you think the Lord expects His children to endure maltreatment at the hands of unbelievers? The answer is plain. It is "until the com ing of the Lord." In the Greek "coming" has ref erence to "personal presence." The word was used in ancient times to describe the official arrival of a dignitary of state. Scripture teaches two aspects of the Lord's coming. The first is what we call the Rap ture when He will come to snatch away His church into the air (Cor inthians 15:51-58, l Thessalonians 4:13-18). Only born-again people from all walks of life and denomin-
to be on the side of that which will help all men. We are interested in them socially, physically and ma terially. Most of all, however, our vital concern should be to keep them spiritually. Without this, all else would be in vain. Resistance is the way of the world while sub mission is the way of Christ! PATIENCE PLEASE How encouraging it is to read the message of the book of James which assures us that it is possible for a believer to operate under all types of pressures. We must be constantly on guard against letting our own selfish desires and ambi tions seeking to exalt themselves above the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. A man cannot be two- souled, with one man on God and the other on the world. In 5-7-9 the Apostle stresses the need for patience in the light of the Lord's return. It is helpful to see some of the biblical examples of this graci ous trait. After several hours of fruitless fishing a little girl suddenly threw down her pole and in exaspera tion complained, "I quit!" Her father was surprised and asked, "What is the matter?" Still discour aged and disgusted she commis erated, "Nothing, except I cannot seem to get waited on!" Have you ever felt like that? She did not have the stamina to wait for the fish to bite. Patience is an extremely scarce commodity in these days of hustle and bustle. If the car ahead of us does not move the instant the signal light turns green, our first impulse is either to mutter an uncomplimentary epithet or to blow the horn, or both! All of this simply shows the pressures men face. Someone has well said that
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