Read

James 5:7-9

⁷Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. ⁸You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

⁹Don’t grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great Judge is coming. He is standing at the door!

Reflect

On a flight from Japan to California, our plane broke down in Alaska. We spent almost two hours on the runway before they finally let us off the plane. We ended up staying overnight in the airport. What do you suppose people started doing after a few hours? Of course - they started complaining. It seemed like the longer we were there, the more people complained. Of course, as soon as we got back on the plane to leave, people stopped complaining.

That’s a lot like our Christian life today. When things start getting a little tough, we get impatient for Christ’s return. We want Jesus to act now, on our terms, in our time. But James tells us that we need to be patient. Jesus will come - in His time.

Respond

What happens to our witness when we start grumbling and complaining?

What else can we do other than complain about our current circumstances?

How can we build each other up instead of grumbling about each other?

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