“你们也当忍耐，坚固你们的心，因为主来的日子近了。” – 雅 5:8
你有没有听过一个父亲带着孩子渡过为期一周钓鱼之旅的故事呢？旅程的第一天下雨，于是他们便留在小屋内，第二天也和第一天一样，孩子们便开始争吵了。到了第三天，父亲说：“我们现在去钓鱼吧。”
孩子喊叫说：“不过，爸爸，现在仍然在下雨呢。”
父亲回答说：“你说得对。但是，如果我们不去钓鱼，我们只会花时间来争吵。”这个故事的教训是，当教会不是在“得鱼”（马太福音 4:19）时，便会很容易开始争执的了。
雅各吩咐我们，要耐心地等待主再来。然而，我们的耐心等候，并非没有意义。就如彼得所教导的，神不是耽延不归，衪乃是在耐心等待人悔改，“不愿有一人沉沦”（彼得后书 3:9），而我们也蒙召参与呼召人信主的事工。耶稣吩咐衪的信徒，把救恩的好消息传给万国万民（马太福音 28:18-20）。正如保罗所说的，我们就像基督的使者，劝人与神和好（哥林多后书 5:20）。
远在雅各、彼得、和保罗的年代，信徒殷切等待基督再来，有些人已经等到失去耐心了，时至今天，情况肯定也相仿。然而，当我们积极地参与神给我们的大使命时，衪延迟回来的每一天，便成为我们多作一天工的机会了。
祷告
主耶稣，我们热切盼望你再来，然而我们也祈求，在这段延迟的时间里，有更多人获得认识你的机会并来爱你。阿们。
雅各书 5:7-11
7弟兄们哪，你们要忍耐，直到主来。看哪，农夫忍耐等候地里宝贵的出产，直到得了秋雨春雨。
8你们也当忍耐，坚固你们的心，因为主来的日子近了。
9弟兄们，你们不要彼此埋怨，免得受审判。看哪，审判的主站在门前了！
10弟兄们，你们要把那先前奉主名说话的众先知当做能受苦、能忍耐的榜样。
11那先前忍耐的人，我们称他们是有福的。你们听见过约伯的忍耐，也知道主给他的结局，明显主是满心怜悯、大有慈悲。
Working And Waiting
“You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” – James 5:8
Have you heard the story about the father who took his children on a week-long fishing trip? The first day of the trip was rainy, so they stayed in their cabin. The second day was the same as the first. Soon the children began to fight. On the third day the father said, “We are going fishing.”
“But, Dad,” the children cried, “it’s still raining.”
“That’s right,” the father replied, “but if we don’t go fishing, we will just spend our time fighting.” The moral of this story is that when the church is not “fishing” (Matthew 4:19), it is prone to start fighting.
James calls us to wait patiently for the Lord’s return. But this patient waiting is not without a purpose. As Peter teaches, God is not slow in returning but is being patient, “not wanting anyone to perish” (2 Peter 3:9). And we are called to participate in calling people to faith. Jesus calls his followers to take the good news of salvation to all peoples and nations (Matthew 28:18-20). As Paul put it, we are like ambassadors, imploring people to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Already in the days of James, Peter, and Paul, some believers were losing patience waiting for the return of Christ. The situation is certainly no better today. But when we are active participants in God’s mission, each day of delaying his return is another day of opportunity.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we are eager for your return, but we also ask that in this time of delay many others will come to know and love you. Amen.
