James 5:7 – 9 “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. You too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. Do not complain about one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Look, the Judge is standing at the door!”
Johnny, age 6, and Timmy, age 5, were having a fight. Their mother heard the noise and came to investigate. Both boys were instigators; what one couldn’t think of, the other one did. And they were forever teasing each other and pestering each other. The only time the boys were quiet was when they were asleep! So the boys’ mother asked Johnny, “What happened?” “He hit me and I didn’t do nothin’!”Johnny replied. “Timmy, what happened?” Timmy’s reply was the same, “He hit me and I didn’t do nothin’!” Finally, the boys’ mother in exasperation asked both boys, “OK. You say you didn’t do nothin’. HOW MUCH “NOTHIN” DID YOU DO?”
Here in northeastern Ghana, farming season is underway with a vengeance! Families are spending every possible moment out on their farms because we have a short growing season. When the rains come, the farmers must quickly plow, plant, and keep handling their crops; mistakes can lead to families having nothing to eat during the lean season. But as much as farmers want a good harvest, they must be patient. Different crops take different amounts of time to mature, and the process cannot be hurried. No matter how anxious a farmer is, he or she must exercise patience.
Here James is encouraging us that just as farmers must wait for the turn of the seasons and for favorable weather, so we as believers need to be patient with one another and wait on God’s timing. One friend used to have a sign in his office: Lord, I want patience, and I want it right now! We wince as we read those words because we know that there is nothing instant about patience! And we must be patient with one another as believers.
There is an Ashanti proverb that says, “Just because you hear the sound of fufu being pounded does not mean that you know what kind of soup they will take with it.” Soup ingredients can be costly, depending on the kind of soup you are making. Fufu, the starchy staple food made from yam, cassava, or plantain, is the cheap part of the meal. The quality of soup depends on the family income. You can’t make any judgments about how well the family is doing unless you know the quality of their soup.
Many times we rush to judge others without waiting to see what is actually happening in their situations. We are very quick to judge others and slap labels on them! At the same time, we are offended if someone judges and labels us. God hates labels! And James warns us that we need to be as patient with one another as are the farmers waiting for their crops to mature. Like Johnny and Timmy, we want to portray ourselves as being innocent, “I didn’t do nothin’!” But God is the only one qualified to judge.
PRAYER: Father God, please help us to be patient with others and refuse to judge them, realizing that you are the only One who knows the human heart and only you are fully qualified to judge. Forgive us for labeling people. Help us to love as you love. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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