The book of James in the New Testament is short, only five
chapters long, but it is chock full of condensed wisdom. Take for example the opening verses that
encourage the reader to count it as joy when we encounter various trials. This is because the endurance (patience in the King James Version) that
results from such testing of our faith will ultimately produce godly character in us.
Over in the fifth chapter, James talks about the need to have patience, but the original Greek word that is used here is different from the one meaning endurance. In Chapter 1 he means enduring hardship and suffering without complaint and trusting God to use the process for His glory and our good.
In Chapter 5:8-11, however, James is urging patience for his readers in the context of being treated unjustly by the wealthy and powerful who oppose them. This kind of patience implies restraint, withholding retaliation and revenge. He reminds them to wait on the Lord, just as a farmer waits for his crop to mature, because when He comes again, which may be at any time, He will judge those who have mistreated them.
But James quickly uses the opportunity to turn the Lord’s coming into a warning directed at his readers. You can almost hear him saying, “By the way, just so you don’t become smug about the justice God will bring upon your persecutors, be careful that you don’t fall into the trap of grumbling against each other and incur His judgment on yourselves!” (See v.9.) Grumbling? Could that be as serious as the injustice they experienced from outsiders? Why would grumbling among Christians be such an issue?
First of all, Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 ESV). Christians grumbling against each other displays an image counter to the character of God. Rather than attracting others to Jesus, it repels them because it is hypocritical and just like the rest of the world behaves. They are not demonstrating His love. In addition, grumbling shows a spirit of discontent, a lack of gratitude, and unforgiveness toward one whom God has already forgiven.
Grumbling also is particularly serious because of the damage it is able to inflict. All of us bear a concealed weapon that can be used for good or for harm. Unfortunately, it is more often used to kill and destroy rather than to save and build others up. James has already dealt extensively with the tongue in Chapter 3:1-12, saying it is humanly untamable and describing it with such graphic terms as, “a restless evil,” “full of deadly poison,” “a world of unrighteousness,” and “set on fire by hell.”
Yes, the tongue we wield is a deadly weapon capable of deeply hurting others, ruining reputations, assassinating character, slandering and cursing others, and spreading lies to destroy those on whom we seek revenge. With today’s communications and social media the power of the tongue is amplified exponentially. A person’s life can literally be destroyed over night.
So then, patience, as James defines it, is not just about waiting calmly for a trial to pass, but it involves controlling the urge to use the one weapon we all know how to use (misuse) so easily in retaliation. But since it is humanly impossible to tame, we must submit our tongues continually to the control of the Holy Spirit, who is able to convert them into sources of blessing and encouragement for the building up of others, especially those of the like faith.
Finally, controlling the tongue also requires confessing and asking for forgiveness of those offended when we fail. The pain of doing so can be a great reminder to avoid falling into the same trap in the future!
Over in the fifth chapter, James talks about the need to have patience, but the original Greek word that is used here is different from the one meaning endurance. In Chapter 1 he means enduring hardship and suffering without complaint and trusting God to use the process for His glory and our good.
In Chapter 5:8-11, however, James is urging patience for his readers in the context of being treated unjustly by the wealthy and powerful who oppose them. This kind of patience implies restraint, withholding retaliation and revenge. He reminds them to wait on the Lord, just as a farmer waits for his crop to mature, because when He comes again, which may be at any time, He will judge those who have mistreated them.
But James quickly uses the opportunity to turn the Lord’s coming into a warning directed at his readers. You can almost hear him saying, “By the way, just so you don’t become smug about the justice God will bring upon your persecutors, be careful that you don’t fall into the trap of grumbling against each other and incur His judgment on yourselves!” (See v.9.) Grumbling? Could that be as serious as the injustice they experienced from outsiders? Why would grumbling among Christians be such an issue?
First of all, Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 ESV). Christians grumbling against each other displays an image counter to the character of God. Rather than attracting others to Jesus, it repels them because it is hypocritical and just like the rest of the world behaves. They are not demonstrating His love. In addition, grumbling shows a spirit of discontent, a lack of gratitude, and unforgiveness toward one whom God has already forgiven.
Grumbling also is particularly serious because of the damage it is able to inflict. All of us bear a concealed weapon that can be used for good or for harm. Unfortunately, it is more often used to kill and destroy rather than to save and build others up. James has already dealt extensively with the tongue in Chapter 3:1-12, saying it is humanly untamable and describing it with such graphic terms as, “a restless evil,” “full of deadly poison,” “a world of unrighteousness,” and “set on fire by hell.”
Yes, the tongue we wield is a deadly weapon capable of deeply hurting others, ruining reputations, assassinating character, slandering and cursing others, and spreading lies to destroy those on whom we seek revenge. With today’s communications and social media the power of the tongue is amplified exponentially. A person’s life can literally be destroyed over night.
So then, patience, as James defines it, is not just about waiting calmly for a trial to pass, but it involves controlling the urge to use the one weapon we all know how to use (misuse) so easily in retaliation. But since it is humanly impossible to tame, we must submit our tongues continually to the control of the Holy Spirit, who is able to convert them into sources of blessing and encouragement for the building up of others, especially those of the like faith.
Finally, controlling the tongue also requires confessing and asking for forgiveness of those offended when we fail. The pain of doing so can be a great reminder to avoid falling into the same trap in the future!
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