Jesus Is Better

“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” (Jas 5:8 AV)

James’ advice is in the context of materialism.  He speaks of acquiring things and being impatient with the life one has.  The chapter starts with an admonition to those who would find comfort in their riches.  Having things is not a sin.  Finding what only God can provide in the acquiring of sin, is.  Impatience and discontent are the root of materialism.  James is reminding those who would be rich that nothing can be compared to what we will have in heaven.  Even if all we were to enjoy was Jesus Christ, all would pale in comparison to Him.  Therefore, since the coming of the LORD draws nigh, our materialistic eyes and hearts should be silenced.  Patience and contentment are the prizes of the hour.

When promised a greater prize compared to what one could have now, most people lack patience.  Most want what they can see and sacrifice what they cannot see.  Game shows were very popular many years ago.  I grew up watching them rather frequently.  One show that continues even today is The Price is Right.  The object of the show is to win as much as one can, and the two contestants who win the most go to the showcase.  The game that one was required to win varied.  The underlying skill that is needed is to guess the cost of things. Higher or lower was a regular game.  All the contestants had to do was to guess if the product was more or less expensive than the item that preceded it.  Another was to fill in the last digit of the price of a product.  This type of game went on and on, and if you had won your game, depending on the prize, you got to spin the wheel.  The two contestants with the highest amounts without going over one dollar entered the showcase sweepstakes.  The contestant with the closest spin to a dollar went first.  The showcase had a theme.  The prizes involved perhaps a vacation, or household items, or recreational equipment.  The first contestant could pick what he saw and bid on it.  Or he could pass for door number two.  He didn’t know what was behind door number two.  What a choice.  Bid on what you see, or take a chance that what you don’t see would be better.  The thing is, almost always, door number two was more expensive.  It paid the contestant to wait for door number two.  Instinctively, the player knew that what was coming was better than what he saw.

We are not totally without clues.  The bible tells us what eternity will be like.  We can take a peek behind door number two and know that it is far better than anything we could have now.  This life is full of God’s blessings.  For those who love Him, trust Him, and obey Him, life is full of pleasures.  But nothing this life could bring can be compared to what is coming.  There is an eternity beyond our ability to comprehend it.  If we were simply patient and content, then the blessings of this life, as well as the next, can be enjoyed.