Living With a View of the LORD's Coming
James 5:7
"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain."
The LORD's coming is the one event that every Christian longs to see. This is the time when the LORD will come to take His own to Heaven. The dead in Christ will rise first, then those of us who are alive will be caught up together in the air to meet the LORD. What a day that will be! Every Christian should live their life with a view of the LORD's coming. God shows us in James 5 how we should live as we wait for His return.
First, we should be patient for the LORD's return. In other words, we should not lose hope that the LORD will return. With every trial and heartache that we endure, we must be patient for the LORD's return. We must not allow the heartaches and trials that we face cause us to quit. Just like the farmer must be patient for his crop to mature so that he can reap the benefits of his labors; likewise, every Christian must be patient and realize that Christ will reward them when He returns.
I can completely understand how those who face physical difficulties could become impatient with the LORD's return, but you must not lose hope and continue serving the LORD in spite of your difficulties. It is certainly understandable for a Christian to become discouraged with the dominance of sin in this world, but you must be patient and continue to avoid the temptations of the world realizing that the LORD will reward you for living right. Yes, there will be times when you may want to quit, but you must not allow your trials to cause you to become impatient. Realize that every promise the LORD makes He keeps. You must live patiently awaiting the LORD's return.
Second, you need to fix your heart on what you believe. Verse 8 says, "...stablish your hearts:..." God knew that in the last days his own children would be deceived by false doctrine if they didn't stablish their hearts. Christian, if there is ever a time when you need to settle what you believe, it is in these last days. People whom we would have never thought would compromise have compromised. They compromised because they didn't stablish their heart. Settle what you believe, and don't let anyone turn you from the truth of the Word of God.
Third, settle differences with the brethren. Verse 9 says, "Grudge not one against another, brethren,..." In these last days we can have relationships with those close to us destroyed if we don't remove the grudges in our heart. In other words, God is teaching us not to live self-centered lives in the last days. These are not days when we should be living for ourselves, but these are days when when we should live for others. Live to be a soul winner and lead others to Christ. Live to help the brethren and not worry about what you will get out of it. Don't hold grudges in your heart towards another, for that will hurt your testimony and witness.
Let me ask you, are you living with a view of the LORD's return? Is every action you perform the type of action you would want to be caught doing if the LORD returned? Let your patience help you to live your life with a view of Christ's return. Live every day as you would want the LORD to catch you if He returned. This could be that day, so live appropriately.