Embracing the In-Between: A Lesson on Patience

Embracing The In-Between Pastor Richard Rico Tubbs

James 5:7-11 7Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord s coming is near.9Don t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.11As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Psalm 46:10 10He says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The first 4 fruit of God the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, and patience.

Be patient (makrothumia) in Greek means to be long tempered The word translated patience comes to us from the combination of two Greek words (makros) which means far away and (thumos) which means anger, heat or rage.

Romans 8:28 28 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a]have been called according to his purpose. We often think of patience as a passive act, but really, it's an active engagement of faith!

So what should you do while youre waiting? Recognize the in-between times for they are a time of molding, a time of shaping, a time of strengthening and a time to see God s mercy and grace revealed.

Practice Patience during times of Transitions in-between Seasons Take delight in Learning Take delight in Growing

Every day presents occasions for embracing patience. We can resent waiting, accept it or even get good at it! But one thing is certain - we cannot avoid it. We need to receive patience from others and we need to extend patience to others!!

Dont grumble: When we fail to have patience, we fail to put our trust in God, we grumble and fight with one another, we pick out other people s faults and failures and focus on those things, we avoid our own weakness and focus on other people s weakness

Hebrews 11:1-13 11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.2This is what the ancients were commended for.3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.4By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: He could not be found, because God had taken him away. [a]For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b]considered him faithful who had made the promise.12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

Story of Thomas Edison: Edisons famous quote Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, Edison s secretary stated something different - 99% of knowledge of things that do not work the other 1% may be genius. The only way to accomplish anything is to keep working with patient observation

What better example of patience and compassion can we see than by looking at the cross. For FOUR THOUSAND years God made plans for the coming of His Son. He waited until the time was right, and then Jesus burst on the scenes. In patience and mercy, Jesus preached and taught the disciples. In patience and mercy, God allowed the Jews and Romans to put Jesus to death, so that He could finally take the punishment of Christ on HIS shoulders. And now for 2,000 years Jesus has been waiting for every last child of his to come to faith. He is waiting for just the right moment to take us home to be with him.

Homework As we approach the coming week, consider how you might embrace the transitional phase of your current season. What lessons can be learned during this period of transition? How can you cultivate a habit of patience? Identify an opportunity this week to demonstrate patience with someone else.