The testing and growing endurance of our faith will lead us to perfection.
Endurance is the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity.
James wrote by The Holy Spirit in chapter 1:
2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! 3For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance. 4And then as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.
Wisdom from Above is tied to our maturing faith as James further writes with “and” to connect faith and Wisdom.
5 And if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for Wisdom and He will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but He will overwhelm your failures with His generous grace. 6 Just make sure you ask empowered by confident faith without doubting that you will receive. For the ambivalent person believes one minute and doubts the next. Being undecided makes you become like the rough seas driven and tossed by the wind. You’re up one minute and tossed down the next. 7-8 When you are half-hearted and wavering it leaves you unstable. Can you really expect to receive anything from the Lord when you’re in that condition?
We cannot be double-minded which is the essence of instability. This is akin to being lukewarm rather than hot or cold. Many believers fall into this category when their faith is being tested. Stress causes our true character to be revealed. The recent xxxdemic is a perfect example of testing our faith in the healing power of FATHER versus a minimally tested jab in the arm. Who is your source for healing and employment? This may offend some but the church was found lacking over the last two years and cowered down to those who have mandated submission to their narrative.
9 The believer who is poor still has reasons to boast, for he has been placed on high. 10 But those who are rich should boast in how God has brought them low and humbled them, for all their earthly glory will one day fade away like a wildflower in the meadow. 11 For as the scorching heat of the sun causes the petals of the wildflower to fall off and lose its appearance of beauty, so the rich in the midst of their pursuit of wealth will wither away.
12 If your faith remains strong, even while surrounded by life’s difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God! True happiness comes as you pass the test with faith, and receive the victorious crown of life promised to every Lover of God!
We are to walk by faith not by political narratives. What value is faith if it is never tested? What is the true value of gold if it has not gone through the fire? This is what endurance is all about.
13 When you are tempted don’t ever say, “God is tempting me,” for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and He is never the source of temptation. 14 Instead it is each person’s own desires and thoughts that drag them into evil and lure them away into darkness. 15 Evil desires give birth to evil actions. And when sin is fully mature it can murder you! 16 So my friends, don’t be fooled by your own desires!
It is not FATHER’S Will for any of us to be sick and/or afflicted. Had the churches been feeding their congregations meat rather than milk, the last two years would have had a totally different outcome.
17 Every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights, Who shines from the heavens with no hidden shadow or darkness and is never subject to change. 18 God was delighted to give us birth by the Truth of His infallible Word so that we would fulfill His chosen destiny for us and become the favorite ones out of all His creation!
Each of us has a destiny chosen by FATHER and written in books residing in Heaven. It is up to us to find out what are in those books. The Holy Spirit will reveal the contents as we are able to handle each page. As we mature in faith and Love, more will be revealed. You and I are the only limitations to the fulfillment of our respective books. Let us endure the tests and trials so that our faith grows strong. The finish line to the race is within our grasps. Our lights will shine for all to see and be drawn to as they try to deal with the times ahead.