“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:4
The photo above is that of my daughter (far out ahead) and her boyfriend behind, hiking toward the goal and joy of summiting the mountain they were climbing. When my daughter climbs a mountain, she is so excited to go that she wears her friends out in her joy to get to the top. Her endurance (patience) of the climb results in great reward in going as far as possible to the top.
This verse above comes on the heels of verse 2-3 where James tells us to consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces patience.
The idea of patience is endurance. The New American Standard Bible says, "Let endurance have its perfect work..."
The fact that the verse says "let" endurance have its perfect work, indicates to me that it is possible for us to fight against it.
When we encounter trials we are to count it joy because then we have the chance to let the testing of our faith produce in us this endurance or patience.
How might we fight against allowing endurance to have its perfect work in us? The opposite of endurance is resistance, idleness, laziness, apathy and timidity. If we are not enduring or being patient, then we are resisting what has come to test our faith. We can also resist by not taking action.
Climbing a mountain is not my idea of fun. I resist the idea of pushing forward to get to the top. You might call me idle or lazy. Perhaps even apathetic to the idea of climbing a mountain. I have no endurance or patience for it.
Endurance is active not passive. It's always moving forward not backward. When trials come your way to test your faith, endurance (patience) is what propels you on in your faith to keep " looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
Jesus is our example. He endured the cross but looked forward to the joy of sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God when He was finished. We too are to endure with patience the testing of our faith while looking forward to hearing, "Well done thou good and faithful servant" at the end of our time here on earth.
Let endurance have its perfect work in you and remember that it's not passive, it's active. Keep moving in your faith and remain focused on the joy ahead of you!
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The idea of patience is endurance. The New American Standard Bible says, "Let endurance have its perfect work..."
The fact that the verse says "let" endurance have its perfect work, indicates to me that it is possible for us to fight against it.
When we encounter trials we are to count it joy because then we have the chance to let the testing of our faith produce in us this endurance or patience.
How might we fight against allowing endurance to have its perfect work in us? The opposite of endurance is resistance, idleness, laziness, apathy and timidity. If we are not enduring or being patient, then we are resisting what has come to test our faith. We can also resist by not taking action.
Climbing a mountain is not my idea of fun. I resist the idea of pushing forward to get to the top. You might call me idle or lazy. Perhaps even apathetic to the idea of climbing a mountain. I have no endurance or patience for it.
Endurance is active not passive. It's always moving forward not backward. When trials come your way to test your faith, endurance (patience) is what propels you on in your faith to keep " looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
Jesus is our example. He endured the cross but looked forward to the joy of sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God when He was finished. We too are to endure with patience the testing of our faith while looking forward to hearing, "Well done thou good and faithful servant" at the end of our time here on earth.
Let endurance have its perfect work in you and remember that it's not passive, it's active. Keep moving in your faith and remain focused on the joy ahead of you!
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