James 1.12
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
Here again is the message that the storms of life are a test, and James encourages us to remain strong when the storm comes. Your job is to respond to those tests by trusting God, praying and asking the Lord for wisdom, and appropriating the blessings and power that God makes available to you in Christ.
For a Christian to respond any other way is a failure to believe and obey.
The Greek word for “remain steadfast” in this passage is hupomeno. It means “to bear up under, endure, persevere, remain steadfast.” It is a spiritual and mental discipline the Lord seeks to build into our life.
Let’s be clear that it is not self-strength that gives us the ability to remain steadfast in the midst of trials; it is strength from the Lord that we appropriate by faith. This is precisely the message in Ephesians 6: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
But make no mistake, trusting God and appropriating his strength requires significant effort on your part. It is not passive; it is proactive faith. You can call it discipline-driven faith, or you can call it faith-driven discipline, but the reality is the same.
In response to the challenges of life, you must trust God and pray, you must build skill and act with discipline, and you must do so with relentless perseverance. As you act in faith in response to God’s grace, the Lord meets you and gives you strength.
This is what hupomeno means. This is how it works each step of the way through the challenges of life. It is also essential to understand that if we trust him, the Lord will make us stronger through the process of faithfully enduring adversity. When you experience difficult and painful things, remember that his grace is sufficient.
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5.10-11)
The Lord is calling.
