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. (James 5:8–9)

I regularly see a meme on social media that goes something like this: “Adulting is saying, ‘Next week will be less busy,’ over and over until you die.” The joke is tinged with both humor and despair. Most people older than 18 can relate to looking forward to a day when their calendar is clear and their to-do list is completely checked off—only to see their anticipated free time evaporate as new responsibilities appear on the horizon. And all the while, days quickly turn into months and months turn into years.

For moms especially, the never-ending cycle of laundry and homework and dental appointments can sometimes seem to swallow the bigger picture of raising children. One day, the kids get their first tooth, and the next, they’re off to college.

In the craziness of life, we can’t help feeling like there’s never enough time.

Good News: Time Is Short

In chapter 5 of his epistle, James tells us we’re right. Time is short, he says. Jesus’s return is so close that it’s “at hand” (v. 8). From the perspective of eternity, our days on earth are brief (Ps. 103:15–16), and Christ’s coming is in the near future (Rev. 22:7).

For moms, this is actually good news. Although the tasks of today and tomorrow and the next day may feel endless, they aren’t. One day soon, Jesus will “descend from heaven with a cry of command,” he will take us with him, and “we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16, 17).

Be patient. This life of mundane tasks isn’t forever. A more glorious life is coming.

Patience in Light of Christ’s Return

James also tells us that the shortness of time should have implications for how we relate to the people around us. Immediately after reminding us we’re running out of time, James commands, “Do not grumble against one another” (5:9).

I don’t know about you, but James’s words make me squirm. The Lord obviously knows that my greatest temptation when I’m short on time is to be short with other people. Unfortunately, it’s sometimes the children in my home who absorb the brunt of my frantic hurry.

My greatest temptation when I’m short on time is to be short with other people.

But the shortness of time should lead us to do the opposite. Because we don’t have much time, because Jesus is coming back, because we’ll all face God’s judgment, we ought to be slow to anger. When Christ returns, we want to be found loving others well. One way we do that is by patiently bearing with one another, humbly putting others’ needs before our own.

Why waste our limited time on impatience when we could use it to display the Spirit’s fruit of patience?

Patience as Evangelism

Although James specifically mentions our relationships to other believers (“brothers and sisters,” v. 9, NIV), our patient, nongrumbling conduct can also have evangelistic purposes in the lives of those who aren’t yet trusting in Christ for salvation. The Lord is “patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

In all our failings as mothers—even in our impatience—the Lord bears with us.

When we’re patient toward our children—remembering that without Christ they face judgment and an eternity apart from God—we reflect the patience of our long-suffering God who doesn’t delight in the destruction of sinners but who bears with them as long as he possibly can (Ezek. 33:11). By our efforts to cultivate patience, we can point our kids to the Lord who is even more patient.

Patience for Moms

Thankfully, we’re not only called to display patience; we’re called to receive it and rejoice in it. The Lord is “patient toward you,” Peter writes (2 Pet. 3:9). In all our failings as mothers—even in our impatience—the Lord bears with us. He was patient with us in the days before we looked to him in faith, and he’s patient with us now. He forgives our sins, gives us his Spirit to help us, and promises to make us perfectly holy one day soon.

Moms, time is short. Be encouraged!

Thank you, Lord, for your patience toward me. Thank you also for the children you have placed in my life. Help me to be long-suffering with them, remembering that time is short. Give me compassion for their undying souls. Please use my patience to teach my kids about your patience and to point them to Jesus. You promise that your coming is “at hand.” Teach me to look forward to that day!