Stand the Test!

Whatever the Challenge, Because of God’s Love, You Can Stand the Test

Posted on by Michele Morin

Sunday Scripture

My grandkids love to play The Ground is Lava whenever we’re at a playground. By sheer little-kid strength, they carry themselves over the length and width of the apparatus, climbing and scurrying to stay aloft. Determined to stand the test, they’d rather fall from the monkey bars than come into contact with the ground.

And it dawns on me that this is how God wants me to handle temptation in my life.

Jesus’s little brother James supports me in this conclusion, and it’s interesting to me that the Greek word for temptation is identical to the word for trial, and this is reflected in the multiple translations available to readers:

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.

James 1:12 (NKJV)

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.

James 1:12 (ESV)

Whatever comes to your mind as you’re reading this verse–the temptation that has hung around so long it’s begun to feel like a game of Whack a Mole or the trial that you’re sick and tired of praying about–know that there is a reward coming for those who endure. Nowhere does Jesus promise a trouble-free life, but he does promise a crown of life, the ultimate reward for perseverance.

Whatever form this crown eventually takes, it will be awarded when we see Jesus, and it’s a sign of his “well done.” Unfortunately for us as impatient souls in the 21st century, the crown of life is NOT like the old Imperial margarine commercials where a crown appeared with a trumpet fanfare on the head of a surprised diner. Sometimes you will endure for what seems like a very long time, but eternal life is much longer.

Unfortunately for impatient 21st-century souls, the crowns Jesus promises are not like the old Imperial margarine commercials where crowns appear immediately with a trumpet fanfare. Sometimes we endure for a very long time.

What’s Really Being Tested?

James is very specific about who will receive the crown of life, and it comes as a surprise, given his opening words. The reward is promised to those who love God. Why didn’t James say the crown is promised to those who endure temptations/trials since that’s what he’s encouraging his readers to do?

After James’s discourse on the importance of works in the following life, it’s clear that he’s expecting believers to expend some effort. We endure, we persevere, but Christianity is not a bootstraps operation. We do not endure in a vacuum.

The love of God fuels our endurance, and it’s our love for God that is really being tested when trials or temptations crowd into our life. James is advocating for this mindset:

“I really wish I didn’t have to endure this temptation to ___________________________, but I can persevere because, I love God and pleasing him is my most important priority.”

“I sure wish this trial would end, but while I wait, God’s love is my greatest treasure.”

Persevere is my focus word for 2021, and I have to confess that this is where reality and idealism come crashing together in my world. I am willing to persevere, but I want to set the “reasonable” length of time, after which, God will, of course, come to my rescue speedily. Here are two actions that save the day:

  1. Maintain your focus on God
    He has hand picked whatever you’re going through for your growth. He has promised not to abandon you, even in those long and drawn out seasons that feel like wilderness living.
  2. See your trial/temptation for what it really is
    We have a pretty way of redefining sin to make ourselves feel better about it. Are you making room in your life for thoughts, words, and actions that have no business being there? Is the trial you are going through being aggravated by your impatience?

Let’s lean into this together, friend. Because of God’s great love, we can stand the test!

Holding you in the light,

Nowhere does Jesus promise a trouble-free life, but he does promise a crown of life, the ultimate reward for perseverance.

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I’m busily preparing a parenting workshop for the Thrive Conference, and I’d love to share the content with YOU on September 25 at New Life Church in Biddeford, Maine.

Together, we’ll explore biblical principles that inform parenting along with action steps that flow from those principles. The emphasis is on heart attitudes and the parent/child relationship rather than parenting formulas or “good behavior.”

Head on over to their Facebook page for more details or visit their website to register!

The fall issue of Joyful Life Magazine is out now, and it includes an article from me! Look for “If I’m Already Forgiven, Why Do I Need to Confess My Sins?” Too, my friend Sue Moore Donaldson is sharing her thoughts on spiritual growth. This print publication will orient your gaze toward the beautiful growth and change that the Lord is working in our hearts and our homes.

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and five adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

48 thoughts on “Whatever the Challenge, Because of God’s Love, You Can Stand the Test”

  1. Michele, yes, I so want “a reasonable length of time” as in, I wanted it to be over about as soon as it started 🙂 But the Lord’s timing is not the same as mine. My focus word this year is Prevail and this post gave me a nudge today for which I am grateful.

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  2. I would love to attend this conference. My children are grown but I am a teacher of toddlers. Mostly though, I would love a chance to get to meet you briefly and Biddeford isn’t so very far from me. My sister may be here that weekend but if she can’t make it don’t be surprised to see me.

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      1. The trial that keeps on keeping on…can bring the greatest blessing…
        I feel that with the chronic health issues I’ve had for the past 16 years.
        In the waiting my relationship with my Lord has deepened to a depth never imagined before.
        Blessings,
        Jennifer

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  3. Meaningful, well-written truth as always, Michele. Your statement, “I can persevere because I love God and pleasing him is my most important priority,” is to the point and leaves no room for excuses. Our Heavenly Father even gives us the wherewithal to resist (1 Corinthians 10:13). How gracious is that?!

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  4. I love this: “Sometimes you will endure for what seems like a very long time, but eternal life is much longer.” Whatever we go through, it will seem like very little when we get to heaven. I also need the reminder that our basis and means of endurance is the love of God.

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  6. Because I love God/Because God loves me – that’s the power that can see us through the temptations and trials. And helps us get back on track when we fail. I do wish it didn’t seem like such a long time that we have to endure, but I guess it won’t seem long at all once we reach eternity.

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  7. One of the reasons I love the blogging world is by just visiting each other’s blogs, a word or phrase reveals something to you in a way that is fresh and new. Your line, “it’s our love for God that is really being tested when trials or temptations crowd into our life” goes right to the heart of why we have struggles. I have not looked at in just this way. I always regard tests as a way God reveals to YOU what is in our heart, because He already knows. Now I see the test reveal how much love for God is in our heart. Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. I need to remember this–He has hand picked whatever you’re going through for your growth. He has promised not to abandon you, even in those long and drawn out seasons that feel like wilderness living. Thank you for a wonderful, thought-provoking post.

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  15. A super example for your insights today. Perseverance isn’t a word or activity most of us want to work on! But it is so important to balance our perseverance with knowing Jesus has already won that crown!

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  16. Persistence and resilience are two of the areas we work on with the children at the school where I work. Life presents challenges and it is how we respond to them that show what kind of person we are. Thanks for linking up with #MischiefAndMemories

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  18. We used to play the lava game even at home and use throw pillows & couch cushions as stepping stones so we didn’t have to touch the floor!

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  19. This is so true, Michele, “The love of God fuels our endurance, and it’s our love for God that is really being tested when trials or temptations crowd into our life.” Love carries us through many challenges, trials and sufferings.

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  20. I’ve been playing Whack a Mole with a particular trial the past few months, so I appreciate your (and James!) encouragement here to keep persevering. James 1 is one of my favorite chapters that we memorized and this first section is one of the main reasons. Leaning in with you on this, Michele.

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  21. I, too, want my trials to last a reasonable amount of time and then be over! Thanks for the encouragement and insight on how to persevere. I like the reminder to keep my focus(my Word) on God and His love for me, and not on the trial I’m facing.

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