Facing Trials with Perseverance

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. James 2-4


This has been the sequence of my life for the past few days. I have been brought through some pretty tough trials lately that even now I want to buckle under the weight and not press on.

My writing has proven a struggle for me the last few days. I can’t get the right words out, I struggle with the proper prose and my third person close is not speaking to me right now! And the devil has really been doing a number on me. When I read for pleasure I tend to think “I can’t write like that” and that thought inevitably leads to “So why try?” Why try if I can’t get it right?

I recently wrote something that had repercussions that hurt me greatly, plus some unintended consequences I hadn’t bargained on. Trying to set that right beat me down and made me really wonder if a life with words is the path God wants for me.

But I was listening to KLOVE yesterday and they read this verse on the air. It really made me sit back and think, not only will these struggles bring me through the valley a better person, but a stronger writer, a person not lacking ANYTHING. Wow, that is really some promise. To know that God can work my trials so they will strengthen me and give me perseverance makes the past week of heartache worth it. I am not saying that God makes us suffer, but He can use that trial to strengthen and give us maturity.

Trials will never be easy. I will still struggle with getting my writing to where it needs to be. But I am going to take heart in the promise from God’s word, “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking ANYTHING.