Are you struggling to persevere?

If I asked you to mention the one thing that brings pure joy in your life, what would you answer?

Playing with the dog? Having the grandkids over? Winning the lottery? A walk on the beach? It wouldn't surprise me if we all came up with a different answer. Of course, there are no right or wrong answers here. There is, however, a surprising biblical answer.

Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (James 1:2-3).

​Excuse me? Calling the testing of our faith pure joy requires quite a shift in our thinking. The trials are not necessarily pure joy, but the testing of our faith is, because it develops perseverance. Why is it so important to have perseverance?

Perseverance must finish it work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4). Now we're talking. I love this verse because it tells me that the development of perseverance in my life must finish its work; in other words, there is an end to every test of faith.

The answer to our 'why do we need perseverance' question is even more encouraging: so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. I don't know about you, but that is what I want. 
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• The maturity as mentioned here is the Greek word 'teleios', which stands for: a right relationship with God that bears fruit in a sincere endeavor to love Him with all one's heart in undivided devotion, obedience and blamelessness.
• The completeness as mentioned here is further explained in James 2:22, faith and actions working together makes our faith complete.
• And last but not least, not lacking anything is a Biblical promise for believers. Psalm 34:9 says Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing!

The testing of our faith (sometimes through trial and error) is nothing more than the development of perseverance, which will make us mature, complete, lacking nothing. Is that pure joy, or what?

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