James 1:12—Persevere under trial

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

This little verse packs a punch. In it we see:

• A man persevering under trial
• The same man being approved after persevering
• The man receiving the crown of life.

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial…

This man is called blessed, not when he finally gets approved and not on that great Day when he receives the crown of life. He is called blessed while in the very middle of his trial. You are blessed, as well, in the midst of your trial, just as long as you persevere. Grasp that fact. You are not “unblessed” until you have been approved and have finally received the crown of life; you are blessed as you navigate every storm in your life, whether large or small. And you will continue to be blessed through thick and thin as you stubbornly cling to the Lord and refuse to quit.

Trials are enormously varied in depth and scope. They can be attacks against your body, reputation, mind, emotions, family, integrity, relationships, or your job, your church, your property, your safety, your finances, your morality, or your nation. Anything that concerns or involves you is a potential arena for trial. This is reality.

But remember, James said to consider it all joy when you encounter any one of those trials. Do you lack wisdom to deal with the attacks? Then ask God for it in faith.

Your faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ (see Romans 10:17). That’s why you need to store up God’s Word in your heart. If you do, you won’t come up short-handed during trials—you’ve been building on the bedrock of Bible truths and your faith is a shield against all the fiery darts of the evil one. Not only that, but by this you are also equipped to wield this two-edged Bible sword, driving back every lie that comes against you with truth. And as you lean heavily on that Word, you will endure every trial—and be blessed.

…for once he has been approved…

 “Approved” is the Greek word dokimos. It means “accepted or pleasing” and was used in James’ day to describe the value of coins. Scam-artists back then would scrape away the metal off the edge of a coin and set it aside to re-melt it for their own use, thereby falsifying the full value of the coin (see http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G1384&t=KJV ). If a coin was “approved”, that meant it held its full value. Likewise, a believer who is approved is one who walks in genuine and legitimate faith, doesn’t “cut corners” or put on a false front to appear more spiritually “weighty” than he really is, and—by virtue of undergoing trials with joy, endurance, wisdom, and faith—will receive the crown of life on that great Day.

With every successfully endured trial, the result is being approved. Every trial is a test of some kind, but not all tests are sent by God. In fact, when bad things happen, you can bet it’s the thief who initiated it (see John 10:10). But ultimately, every trial you encounter is a test of your faith in Christ. Satan would love nothing more than to use your difficulties to separate you from God. He knows that he can’t tempt God to ditch you; but he can attempt to turn you away from God, so he seeks to steal, kill, and destroy the things you hold dear. If he can get you to question God’s love or faithfulness, he’ll use that to place a wedge between you and the Lord—and then try to manipulate you into further unbelief and despair.

But as you press through your trials with faith and patience, you inherit the promises of God (see Hebrews 6:12). You are approved as you complete with endurance your ultimate trial—your earth life—and as you pass out of this world into Heaven, you’ll receive the crown of life. Each individual trial you face with the Word is like a link in a chain of gold from which your life’s character is forged. Perhaps the substance of your endured trials is the very material from which the Lord will create the crown of life He will give you on that Day.

…he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Here is a reward you will not want to miss out on; it’s available to anyone who has received Christ. The “stuff” from which this crown will be formed is all around you right now—your trials, your tests, and all those temptations. And as James says, you will receive this crown once you are approved—after you leave this life and arrive in Heaven.

According to James, the Lord has promised this crown to everyone who loves Him. A crown just your size will be formed out of the trials you’ve endured with joy, wisdom, and faith—despite the natural outcome—and what a thrill it will be to receive it!

The crown of life is for those who persevere under trial and for those who love Him. Can you persevere under trial without loving Him? Can you love Him without persevering under trial? Perhaps you’ve been tempted to throw in the towel and give up a time or two, but when your love is genuine, you always run back to Him to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (see Hebrews 4:16). In other words, persevering under trial and loving God are inextricably linked together throughout your life. As you lean heavily upon Him in love, you will persevere. And as you set your heart to persevere, you are saying “I love You” to the Lord.

Persevere. It’s worth it!

Dorothy

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15