Gardening is a form of suffering. Not for everyone who does it, but it is for me! My dad peruses seed catalogs like I used to peruse the Christmas toy catalogs as a child. I, on the other hand, feel a bit anxious at the sight of them in the mailbox. What will I plant? When will I plant? Where will I plant? Will I really follow through all summer long with the weeding that must be done? Those decisions are small in comparison to the long drawn out process of caring for the ground, adding nutrients to the soil, planting the seeds, and WAITING. For someone with a short attention span, gardening can be a challenge. When I have gardened, though, I am pleased, in the end, every time. I’ve never been unhappy that I’ve gardened. When weeds or beetles have eventually overtaken something, there’s always been another vegetable that’s done well. Even a small crop makes me feel happy when the season is over. There’s something satisfying about working with the creator on a project. He handles the mysterious stuff and I just cooperate by making the conditions right as much as I humanly can and waiting. Oh, yes, and praying!

I come to a close on this series by sharing the last of the passages in James that has helped me consider how to process overwhelming life circumstances.

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:7-11 ESV)

As you look back at the past weeks of this series, you may have noted that this series never has proposed a way to truly overcome, once and for all, those overwhelming life circumstances that come. Like the farmer, we find that the work is never really done. After choosing seeds or plants, there is tilling. After tilling, there is planting. After planting, there is watering. After watering, there is watching. After watching, there is more watching…and waiting. After waiting, there is harvesting. After harvesting, there is canning. After canning, there is preparing the ground for next season. There is rest, but a need for more growth. Perhaps, more learning for the next time. And then, the seed catalogs come again for the next season.

The patience James calls us to in chapter five is passive, yet also active. Like the farmer, we watch and wait for the Lord to work over our lives. This passive form of patience is forbearance and long-suffering.

James also calls us to active patience which is steadfastness or perseverance. This is the aspect of patience in which we cooperate by resolving or determining to continue, though there is great difficulty. A marathon runner staying in the race, maintaining the course to the end, is an example of perseverance.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12: 1-2 ESV)

Another aspect of active patience that James calls us to is establishing our hearts or, some versions say, standing firm. Like a soldier ready for battle, we stand up for the fight and engage our minds and bodies. We pray for wisdom, we confess His sovereignty and control over all things, and we strive to make good choices with our time and resources. Jesus sets the example for us again in this series. When He knew His time was coming, He resolved to go to Jerusalem.

“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51 ESV)

Like Jesus, we can endure because the Lord’s return is near.

“…who for the joy set before him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:1 ESV)

The seasons of overwhelm will always come. And the need to take part in cooperating with the Lord is always present before, during, and after the circumstances come.

Our overcoming comes only by the Lord’s work in our lives, and as we watch, wait, and work alongside Him. There is a temporary overcoming, but there is always more of life on the way. And this overcome is mostly the kind of overcome that happens when you begin to operate well under challenging circumstances. The circumstances don’t vanish. We don’t obliterate them with our new ways of thinking or doing. We just operate under them with patience and the Lord’s help.

By Jesus’ work and power in our lives, as we come to a season of challenges…

We can pray at all times. Whether sick, happy, or in trouble, as we give God every aspect of life, seeing Him as omnipresent and over everything, as we pray bold prayers for wisdom and for God to work mightily in our situations.

We can overcome sin that creeps into our overwhelming circumstances, choosing righteousness as we confess our sins, and seek healing. This includes how we speak to others and ourselves.

We can overcome overwhelm and receive a sense of peace as we accept the challenge, humbling ourselves.

We can overcome overwhelm through remaining steadfast in passive and active patience.

We can overcome overwhelming feelings as we consider God’s grace to us.

We will experience overwhelm until we pass from this earth or until the Lord returns. Friends, stand watch over all that you’ve handed over to the Lord. Be patient, like the farmer. Stand firm, the Lord is near. Pray boldly at all times with faith. As you do, you will overcome overwhelm. We overcome overwhelm not when it disappears from our lives, but when we fear it less. We overcome overwhelm when we cease being debilitated by it and take steps toward actively handing over the issue to God. We overcome it when we turn from sin as we’re tempted in the midst of a hard circumstance. We overcome it as we speak gracious thoughts and words toward ourselves and others. We overcome it when we run to God even when we feel anxious and want to run in our own ways, striving to keep control. Overcoming overwhelm means we’ve been helped by the power of the Holy Spirit to face the challenge with bold trust in the Lord.

I’ll close with the words of the refrain in a great 1800’s hymn by Daniel W. Whittle, I Know Whom I Have Believed:

But “I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”

Blessings to you as you commit all of life to Him, He is able to keep that which you’ve committed to Him.

For the entire “Overcoming Overwhelm” course, click below!

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