The early church had a perspective on life that is hard to see in today’s day and age. They viewed hardships, trials, and challenges as an orienting experience. They welcomed these in such a way because they understood the product of their hearts when endurance is practiced. We don’t have that same mentality today do we?

James tells us very clearly in his first chapter, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:2-4). 

We live in a culture that is consumed with self. It teaches us to seek after the easier, the comfortable, the best-for-you route. James was writing to the early church that was daily being persecuted and his charge was to face it head on with joy. His perspective of trials was that there was a unique growing opportunity. He recognized the importance of endurance and steadfastness and knew that those traits are only learned through personal, intimate practice. You have to actually endure through something to grow your endurance.

Hebrews tells us, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). There’s this dance that develops between faith, hope, and endurance. Picture these three as individual strands of string. They’re separate, but when practiced they circle around one another and become intertwined creating a three-stranded rope. The rope becomes stronger and stronger the longer it stretches.

Faith is exactly what is described above. It’s believing in our hearts that Jesus is who He says He is. The hope that we cling to is that He is coming back and is bringing salvation for the brokenness of our souls, and we will live with Him in a fully right relationship in the new heavens and the new earth. Faith and hope are tested through trials. It’s one thing to claim to believe something, it is a whole other thing to have that thing challenged and come out the other end continuing to believe.

This is where endurance comes into play. We have opportunities, small and large, to endure. The challenging question from an unbelieving friend, the loss of a loved one, failure, ridicule, the list goes on. All of these present us with this question: do I actually believe this? It’s the “yes” that follows that pushes us into the “orange-theory” of endurance. And as we continue to say “yes” amidst the hard times we begin to grow the muscle of endurance, which then grows the muscles of faith and hope. The three feed off one another to strengthen one another.

This all sounds great, but why do we have such a different perspective than the early church? Because their greatest possession was their faith. And their faith was leading them to hope in their salvation becoming complete at the sight of Jesus either at His return or at the end of their lives. If the Western Church at large today is being really honest, that just isn’t our greatest goal today, is it?

There is so much “self” that needs to be rooted out of us. There is so much “now” that needs to leave in order to make room for “what’s-to-come.” Friends, we can start today. And it begins with knowing what you believe. And then remember that it’s actually the continuing through challenging times that most deeply grows our faith.

The early church recognized this and smiled at the face of trials because it was a brand new opportunity to grow and stretch their belief. This is not a charge to go looking for problems, life is full of them and they’ll be at your door soon enough. I don’t say this as a discouragement but rather the contrary. You and I have new opportunities to grow all the time. And as James concludes this thought he says, “for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

If Jesus is who He says He is, well then, that changes everything. That means He is fully worthy of our belief, time, energy, and worship. His return is our ultimate hope. If you find yourself unable to say those words just yet, that’s ok. This is the charge of endurance. Endurance is grown one “yes” at a time. None of us are perfect in our endurance just yet, but as our endurance does become more and more complete, we will become less and less at need. And we will be growing deep roots of belief. Friend, join with me in choosing faith and hope today – let’s practice endurance together one “yes” at a time.