Patience Produces Perfection
The Book of James is remarkable in many ways. It defines the role of faith in our lives, how we can use it to gain knowledge, and how we demonstrate it through our works. I do not know if James interacted much with Paul, but if he did, I am sure they had lively discussions on the subject. Indeed, the majority of the Christian world seems to side with Paul on the idea that we are saved by faith, while downplaying the role of works in obtaining salvation. James, however, emphasizes that when we have faith, we demonstrate it through our works. That idea reminds me of the old adage that we should pray as if everything depends on God, and then get up and work as if everything depends on us.
James appears to have the most comprehensive grasp on the interconnection between faith and works of any New Testament writer. Knowing that you can’t have faith unto salvation without works, while simultaneously understanding that you cannot act or do works without faith, is essential to personal achievement and discovering our full potential. The writing of James was convincing enough to inspire a young Joseph Smith to pray, expecting to get an answer, which he did.
Because the discussion of faith and works has been had a million times, I want to focus on another theme that runs through the Book of James: patience. I was particularly struck by this verse in chapter one: “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” I will unpack several lessons and doctrines in that one sentence.
The first part of the verse expresses that patience is one of the greatest works of faith. As we consistently do the right things, we can rely on the fact that good will eventually come, or possibly that we will eventually become good. It is small things done over extensive periods that yield impressive outcomes. Having faith in that practice is the key to success. As we patiently wait on the Lord, things will happen at the perfect time and in the most advantageous way. That is the reason James said, “…let patience have her perfect work”.
The next part of the verse says this, “that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”. How would it be to want for nothing; to be whole? I do not know anyone who does not want something. To be fully satisfied is beyond my comprehension as a practical matter. I certainly understand it conceptually, but I am not sure anyone has a formula for complete fulfillment that is better than what James offers in the five chapters he authored. To reiterate; the demonstration of faith by patiently working towards salvation will produce perfection.
So, what then do we do. It all starts with desire, that weaves itself into faith. But not just faith in anything, because some things are not worthy of our faith. In fact, the list of things or people we can have faith in is very limited. As we work our way through life, we can have faith in certain things and people. In most cases, we can rely on people who have our best interests at heart; like our parents. Finding trusted mentors and teachers is valuable, but not always possible.
Too often, we are let down or disappointed when we inevitably find flaws in people and things that, we thought, were trustworthy. If we become disillusioned by imperfection in ourselves or others, or we find that the institutions we believed were solid, crumble to pieces, we can only turn to one person. That person is Jesus Christ. The only things we can trust are eternal truths. I believe you can distinguish these truths by seeing if they apply both here and in eternity.
The short list of who and what we should give fealty to includes God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. The reality that we are the children of God gives us hope that our potential is virtually unlimited. There is a plan for our eternal progression. Because of the atoning sacrifice, we can overcome sin and the world. Our acts of faith accumulate over time to attest to our devotion, and God rewards us in ways that optimize our earthly experience. God keeps his promises, and encourages us to make covenants with him. We can communicate directly with our Father in Heaven at any time, wherever we are.
When you feel like you are going nowhere, remember that patience produces perfection.