May 30, 2026
Saturday, May 30
When life gets hard, we have a chance to grow in grit, if we rejoice in our suffering and pray for wisdom. And James 1 gives us one more instruction:
Hope in the future. V. 12 says “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.” The word “blessed” sounds very lofty and spiritual, but it means “enviable.” James is saying, “This is the person you want to emulate.” Think about the people we look up to. We call them “celebrities.” What is it about them that we envy? They have certain physical proportions that make them attractive. They are good at singing, pretending to be someone else, playing a kid’s game, or getting themselves elected. They have managed to accumulate gobs of money, so they can live in absurd luxury. But in eternity, when we see things as they truly are, we won’t admire or envy those people at all, at least not for those qualities. Instead, we’ll marvel at men and women who endured serious trials, and came through it all with their faith intact. We’ll look at them and say, “Wow, what an amazing life! I wish I had been more like that.”
Here’s another way to look at it: Down here on earth, we look up to people who get the stuff the prosperity gospel promises. But in eternity, we’ll admire the people who had real grit, the stuff the prosperity gospel denies.
James says such people will receive the crown of life. He’s not talking about the kind of crown you place on the head of a king. There will only be one King in Heaven, and it won’t be one of us. Instead, it’s the crown they placed on the head of a champion at the Olympic games in ancient Greece. That reminds me of one of the all-time great “grit” verses in the Bible, Hebrews 12:1-2:
…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 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.
We are running to win the crown of life, and that means we must run with endurance. How do we do that? Again, it’s easier to avoid going uphill, but the hills are what produce grit in us. How can we run those hills and win the prize? We look to Jesus. By “look to Jesus,” I don’t think it simply means “let Him be an inspiring example.” It means we call on Him for help. He gives us the power to make it through. He fills us with hope that enables us to see the finish line. That’s what gets us there.
That’s why I Trust in God. Listen to this beautiful song. Make it your anthem, your defiant stand against everything the enemy throws at you.
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
