You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be.
No one that I know likes to suffer persecution. When the trials and tests of our faith come our way, we may be tempted to walk away from Jesus. Don’t do it! There is a greater purpose that we can fathom behind those trials and tests. We are learning to patiently endure so that character and maturity may be developed within us.
James, the brother of Jesus, wrote to the first century church that to suffer persecution because of Christ is a cause for joy (James 1:2). The first century church endured terrible persecution at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders and the Romans. The Apostle Paul, perhaps Christ’s greatest missionary, had once persecuted those who would later become his brothers and sisters in faith. The Romans were especially cruel toward Christians in those days. Christians were fed to lions, used as human torches, and executed in horrific fashion just because they bore the name of Jesus and would not bow to Caesar.
I’m certain that as word spread of increasing persecution, many were tempted to walk away from the faith. “Who needs this?!” they may have asked. That’s when the Lord’s brother, James, a leader in the church in Jerusalem, reminded them to patiently endure the suffering they were experiencing. Suffering patiently leads to being “all that God wants you to be,” he said.
As the return of our Lord Jesus draws nigh, Scripture is clear—persecution and suffering will increase for those who bear the name of Christ. Persecution is not a possibility for the Lord’s people. It is a certainty. In many parts of the world today, it is a reality. Here in America, persecution is not nearly as severe as in other parts of the globe, but that doesn’t mean it won’t become our reality, too. May the Lord prepare us for what is coming sooner than we realize.
For our brothers and sisters around the world who are experiencing severe persecution, may the words of James encourage you. Your faith is being more than tested. It is being refined. God is deepening your faith in Him so that you can be all that He wants you to be. Be patient in the face of suffering and persecution. God will not leave you nor forsake you. He will, through His Holy Spirit, give you the courage to patiently endure until the end, when a crown of righteousness will be bestowed upon you. Endure patiently through it all, for on that day you will hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done.”
By Shawn Cornett, Bible League International staff, Indiana U.S.
