herefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. James 5:7–8 (CSB)

Patient urgency sounds like an oxymoron. We may think that we can either be patient or have a sense of urgency, but not both. However, this is exactly what we must do whether or not we believe that time is short or that the end of all things is in the distant future.

John Wooden, one of the greatest college basketball coaches, said: “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” Many people live life at a frantic pace but feel as though they are not accomplishing their desired goals. The world is going by at a 24/7 pace, and people jump on the bandwagon for fear of missing out on anything. We want what we want, and we want it now, if not sooner.

James tells us that the farmer must be patient for the precious fruit to be ready. But the pressures of production even affect the farmers. Some farmers will resort to techniques to speed up the process but end up with fruits and vegetables lacking in rich taste and nutrition. Work and productivity are important, but no more important than patience and rest.

Chick-fil-A restaurants typically earn more per location than do other similar restaurants, even though they are closed on Sunday. Churches are busy, always trying to meet the needs of people, but perhaps we need to slow down to accomplish more. Growing to maturity takes time.

Fully Formed

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. Colossians 1:28 (NIV)

We like to count things. Numbers are good, and they are a way for us to measure growth, but they do not tell the whole story. We may be counting the wrong things, and those things that really matter are not easily quantified.

When we count the number of hands raised when the invitation for salvation is given, or even the number of people in attendance in our worship services, it really tells us very little that is truly useful. We must accept quantity over quality; it may give us a sense of satisfaction, but what do we really know?

When Jesus told a parable of the sower, there may have been a sense of excitement to see the little seedlings sprout from the earth, but it was premature to count the harvest and take it to market. Paul desired to present everyone fully mature in Christ. They say that farmers should not count their chickens before the eggs hatch. There is a grave danger in mistaking seedlings for mature plants that have become fruitful.

In the natural world, as well as the spiritual realm, people grow at different rates. Some people reach maturity early, while others never seem to grow up and be fruitful. While there is an urgency to see people mature so that we can present them fully mature in Christ, it takes time, effort, and patience. It is not easy. Paul put it this way: My children—I seem to be in labour with you all over again, until the Messiah is fully formed in you! Galatians 4:19 (BFE)

Fruitfulness Is Not Optional

He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. John 15:2 (NLT)

What good is a plant or a tree that does not produce good fruit? While some people would take the seedling and transplant it in the hope of it someday bearing fruit, generally speaking, it is the fruit of the tree that the farmer can take to the marketplace. Eventually, we must bear fruit or risk being cut off.

It may sound harsh and unkind to demand that a person’s life will bring forth good fruit, but no conscientious vine keeper will keep on investing water, fertilizer, and space in a barren tree. Jesus told this parable:

 “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:6–9 (NLT)

We may want to believe that God has endless patience, but like the man in the parable, it is reasonable to expect to see fruit. In his 2^nd letter, Peter tells us that God has given us everything that we need to live a godly life, but it is up to us to add to our faith additional attributes, so that we will not be unfruitful.

Be Motivated

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24–25 (NLT)

Jesus is coming again, and He is our blessed hope. There have been devoted Christ-followers in every generation living with the hope of the soon return of Jesus Christ. Certainly His return is nearer than when we first believed. Will he return in our lifetime? We do not know, but our commission remains the same.

Our motivation to witness and make disciples is obedience to Christ’s command, not just the prospect of his imminent return. We live in fruitful anticipation, remembering that we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Whether Christ’s return is tomorrow or a thousand years from now, we labor in faithful hope. It was Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke who said, “We only have a generation to win a generation.”

We must be prepared and prepare others to be fruitful and productive for the kingdom. Like the farmer, we have a sense of urgency, but we know that we must be patient. Fully formed fruit and disciples take time and effort. It may seem like a contradiction, but we must have a patient urgency.

Steve Ekeroth