Perseverance

My verse for the week and my life right now is from James 1:2-4:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Perseverance has a few definitions in the dictionary "continued, patient effort", "persistence", and "in Calvinism, the continuance in grace of people elected to eternal salvation." The actual translation in the Greek is "endurance."

I love these verses for so many reasons. They are a source of comfort when the trials and hardships of my life get to be too much or too long. I am reminded of God's promise to me in these verses as in many other passages throughout Scripture. My time on earth is short-lived and temporary, as are my trials and sufferings in it. I rejoice in the fact that the Lord has given me something hard to deal with because in it He is PERFECTING my faith. I am one step closer to spiritual maturity and "completeness" when I endure a hardship. There is a groaning, cracking as the earth shifts in my soul, as I am broken before the Lord, but He is swift to mend me and put me back together, refined and closer to the woman and follower of Christ He would have me be. I am also reminded of what Paul said about his weakness in II Corinthians 12:9:

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses , so that Christ's power may rest on me."

I love this. God is enough. He is all we need. He redeems our weaknesses with His strength, satisfies our deepest needs, gives us the power to carry on. I am resting assured in His promises.