Patience, Endurance and Long-Suffering {James 1}
Recently I have been meditating on James 1:2-4, 12 (ESV)
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
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.
Who doesn’t want to be “perfect and complete” and “receiving the crown of life”??! And in order to get there, we need this thing called steadfastness (or patience, perseverance, endurance as other translations have it). And to get THAT… we’ve got to go through trials, which will test our faith, FYI.
Or, to work forwards, it goes TRIALS –> PATIENCE –> PERFECTION
Of course I would be starting to memorize these verses just days before Havilah had to be hospitalized! Oh the irony. To gain perspective, it’s good to think of those who are going through much more difficult ‘trials.’ In light of that, our family being sick – for the last 3 months non-stop it seems – feels pathetic as a trial. But you know what? It still is one. And maybe you are in the same spot with difficult times in your life, that are big and all-consuming troubles for you. I think it’s fair that we apply this verse to our situations because if God only meant the kind of trial that was being persecuted to the point of being killed in a horrible way by ISIS, then most of us Christians in America would never get a chance to have this verse be applicable in our lives. Let us practice joy in our trials, no matter the size; goodness knows, that’s hard enough, even with the “small” ones!
That concept, of what trials produce, is translated into different words depending on your Bible translation.
Greek to English…
NKJV
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
NIV
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
12 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.
NLT
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
And for the fullest understanding of this passage, let’s also read it from the Amplified version:
AMP
Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. 3 Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
12 Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
I love reading a variety of translations! I want to be mature too (NIV). When troubles come, we’re supposed to consider it an opportunity for great joy (NLT). Um, ok. Not what I would first think of. We will have experiences that will test our faith (AMP), that in addition to spiritual maturity lead to inner peace.
Overall, the word I think of most is PATIENCE.
Of course this made me think of the word used for patience in the KJV – old English – long-suffering. Because these trials and testing feels like times of LONG SUFFERING. But it’s actually not the same Greek word! {As far as I can tell from my rudimentary research on the internet and Strong’s Concordance.}
The definitions for long-suffering are so pertinent (emphasis mine):
“suffering for a long time without complaining : very patient during difficult times”
“patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship”
There is a passage that uses both Greek words, so they must have different meanings even though translated to the same English word sometimes. I just love this about researching words and other languages! It feels like you get a fuller, more complete picture of what the author is trying to convey!
endurance/patience/steadfastness/perseverance
patience/long-suffering {It’s easy to remember the long-suffering kind of patience as being “long of nose”… yes, you want to read more, ha!}
This is the passage that uses both words:
Col 1:9-14 NKJV
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
What a beautiful prayer! This would be a great prayer to pray for our mom friends in any season.
God, I ask that [name] may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that [name] may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. Thank You that You have delivered [her] from the power of darkness and conveyed [her] into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Conclusion
When we’re going through trials – no matter how seemingly insignificant – let’s be glad for what it’s producing in us. And instead of focusing on the trial, let’s look toward the end of the verse (James 1:4, 12) to becoming perfect and winning the crown of Life. This is a Biblical focus, as 1 Cor 9:24b (NIV) says,
Run in such a way as to get the prize.
How do we do this? How do we live this way?
Heb 12:1-3 (ESV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with ENDURANCE the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
The Fruit of the Spirit that I have the hardest time with is patience. And these trials? They’re going to help me. {No pain, no gain.} Because I want to get to the point where I can ‘patiently enduring hardship for a long time without complaining.’ How about you?
~~~ TRIALS –> PATIENCE –> PERFECTION ~~~
