Be Patient and Persevere, Matt

Kevin preached Sunday on James 5: 1-12. He set everything up by relating two experiences from his past. In one experience he messed up as a child and was waiting for judgment from his pops. In the other experience he was waiting with anticipation for his wedding night.
It was a good lead in for James 5:1-6. In it James describes the wicked and warns that judgment is coming for them. Verses 7-11 describes the Christian and is written to give hope to them. James says, "Be patient" and "Persevere" and "Jesus is Coming"!

That is it...
"Well", you ask me, "isn't that enough, Matt?"
"Yes", I reply, "but do you realize what that really means to Matt Wiggins?"

Let me explain,
We have two gentlemen in our congregation looking for work. We have more sick old folks than I can shake a stick at. We have members in serious financial straights. I have said to these people, "I will be praying for you" and then breathe to myself a prayer that says, "Lord take care of them and give them work, or heal them, or see them through this mess." I then pray and have been praying consistently for them.
Do you want to know what my heart attitude has been though? "Lord, you have to do this - they are your sons and daughters - and you need to take care of them - because we are special - we are saved."
Now, that may sound alright on the surface, but Kevin opened in me a line of reasoning that I cannot shake.
I am patting their hands and telling them, "It will be OK"...and readers...it may not be!
Judgment happens! pruning happens, bad stuff happens to fantastic people.
What I should be saying is this, "The Lord is coming back! be patient...How can I help you right now through this?" and I need to do it!

Basically I am shaking my head and rubbing backs and praying sincerely, but the RESULT is as good as a hypocrite who says, "be warmed and filled".

The focus CANNOT be on their problems and my want of a material remedy for them. The focus MUST BE on Christ and His return.
The message MUST BE, "Stay Focused"!
The immediate help and sustenance MUST COME from me personally.

That lines everything up!
Both of us are not looking at the problem and grumbling (vs 9), Both parties are looking forward to Christ and holding each other up (persevering together)(vs.11) in the interim.

This...is...scary, because that means I have to leave my comfort zone, and my plans, and do more specifically...wherever and whenever I see it.
That...my friends, seems to be "a more real" Christianity,
That...my friends, seems to be "a more real" sense of community
and that...is what I know God wants me to do.
Pray for me.