RELIGION —
We’re not surprised when a Jewish disciple writing Jewish people speaks of blessing as James does in 1:12 of his letter. Here’s the complete verse from the NIV:
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
Blessedness begins with the perception battle. James has already talked about God as the One “who gives generously to all without finding fault” in regard to granting wisdom (v. 5). In v. 16-17, he doesn’t want them to be deceived but to understand, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” When we are convinced and convicted that God is unchangingly good, it gives us the ability to step up and shoulder the load of a trial. We know God is with us and He will bring something good out of what appears to be only a bad situation. This is what faith is — the ability to see the unseen. Anyone can see the seeds in the apple, faith sees the apples in the seeds.
Blessedness is won through perseverance. Understanding that intellectually is wonderful, but it must be fleshed out in our lives or it’s no good for us or anyone else. That’s where perseverance comes in. It’s easy to think of perseverance as simply gritting our teeth and getting on with it. I think there’s more to it than that. Eugene Peterson (A Long Obedience in the Same Direction) has this to say about perseverance:
Perseverance is not the result of our determination, it is the result of God’s faithfulness. We survive in the way not because we have extraordinary stamina but because God is righteous.
Christian discipleship is a process of paying more and more attention to God’s righteousness and less and less attention to our own; finding the meaning of our lives not by probing our moods, motives and morals, but by believing in God’s will and purposes; making a map of the faithfulness of God, not charting the rise and fall of our enthusiasms. It is out of such a reality that we acquire perseverance.
It results in a crown. The word for crown is stephanos and it’s the wreath or crown given to victorious athletes (1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 2:5). It is called the crown of life because it represents the eternal life given to those who hang in there with Jesus through thick and thin. It is the ultimate in blessedness.
In this verse we’ve seen James encourage his readers to persevere through the trials they were facing. It’s an elementary lesson to learn for the disciple of Jesus, but one we will use our entire life.
You can find more of Green’s writings at his website: www.a-taste-of-grace-with-bruce-green.com.