Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
James is one of the most practical books in the Bible about how to live out your faith. I often recommend it as one of the best books of the Bible to start with. And right from the beginning we see some powerful truth. The James 1:12 meaning is a challenging reminder of how we should be living out our faith.
Yet, many Christians miss what this verse says and fail to apply it to their life. And I get that, this is a challenging verse that flies in the face of how we like to live. But this verse has the power to change our lives and our faith for the better if we let it.
So, let’s dive into the meaning of James 1:12 and see what it means for us today.
The Context Of James 1:12
James starts his letter with a challenging concept: count it ALL joy. Even the trials and suffering are things that followers of Jesus should be joyful about.
The message here is to trust God. He can see things that we cannot from our limited point of view. And James is telling his readers to trust that God will not only lead them through but use these storms for our good.
This is a difficult concept for many Christians, but it is one that we shouldn’t ignore. That’s why James starts his letter off swinging. He wants his readers to understand the importance of this. Our trials and suffering in this life don’t stop God’s promises. Whatever we are facing we can have hope and joy.
And it’s in the middle of this introduction that we find the passage we are looking at here. So, let’s dive into the James 1:12 meaning and see what it can teach us.
The James 1:12 Meaning
Let’s unpack this verse to see what the meaning of James 1:12 really is.
Blessed Is The One Who Perseveres Under Trial
James here is circling back to what he started with in James 1:2; that we should count it ALL joy. God will use our trials to produce something of immense value in our lives. Therefore we should persevere through them knowing that God is with us, and he will lead us through.
James uses here the Greek word makarios (μακάριος) that’s translated as blessed. It’s the same word that Jesus uses in the Beatitudes. And Jesus’ message was similar to James. Persevere because great is your reward in heaven.
This is a consistent message throughout the Bible. Blessed is the one who looks ahead at what God promised and perseveres through the trials of this life.
Having Stood The Test
James is encouraging his readers to trust God. Trust that God can see what we cannot, and that he is ultimately leading us to a place that is good for us. What might seem bad is actually being used for good.
The choice to keep trusting God will result in blessings for followers of Jesus. Though our circumstances might be hard, they are temporary. God is with us, and he will lead us through. So stand the test, keep trusting God.
That Person Will Receive The Crown Of Life
This is the reward for those who stand the test; they receive the crown of life.
Scholars are divided on exactly what James is referring to by the crown of life. It’s unlikely that this is referring to salvation because eternal life is not based on what we do.
Likely James is referring to the kind of life that Jesus came to deliver both in eternity and here and now. In John 10:10 Jesus says that he came to give life to the fullest. The crown of life very well could be referring to the abundant life that we can have.
Some scholars argue that the crown of life is an additional reward given in eternity to Christians who stood the test on earth. This would be similar to Revelation 2:10 where John promises a victors crown to those who endure suffering to the point of death.
What is clear is that the crown of life is more than the eternal life given to every believer. What exactly that is is up for debate. The point is, James is encouraging his readers to endure for the reward is great.
That The Lord Has Promised To Those Who Love Him
This is an interesting line that this verse ends on, “those who love him.” We might assume that all who claim to follow Jesus love God, but that’s simply not true. Even Jesus had a disciple that didn’t actually love him (John 14:21-24).
It’s in our trials that the presence or absence of our love for God is discovered. Now, this doesn’t mean that God wants to just grin and bear and pretend our suffering isn’t that big of a deal. No, we will struggle in this life. The question is, do we let our struggles determine the direction we take our life or do we look to God?
The promise is that God will come through for those who are truly trusting him. Their love for God has been proven by their steadfastness in their trials. And they will receive life to the fullest as God has promised.
How To Apply James 1:12 To Your Life
Now that we’ve looked at the meaning of James 1:12 I want to look at how we can practically apply it to our lives. So, here’s two ways that you can live out this verse.
1. Look Past The Storm
We will all face trials and hardships in this life. The message from James 1:12 is to persevere through these storms. But how do we do that? We look past the storms.
When we are in the middle of a difficult season we tend to focus on the pain of that moment. It’s all we think about and that almost never helps. Instead we should shift our focus from the storm to the one who has overcome the storm.
When we find ourselves in a trial we should keep our eyes on God. We need to daily remind ourselves of what Jesus has done for us, and that he will lead us through. Not only will this season end, but God will use it for our good.
Hardships can seem unfair and even hateful. But we have to remind ourselves of verses such as this one. We have to keep our eyes on God so that we can see that he is working through the trials of our life to produce something of great value.
2. Focus On Your Calling
The problem many of us face is that we would rather be comfortable rather than stepping into the calling God has for us. The reality is God never promised us an easy life. In fact he promised that we would face trials and hardships. But that he would be with us through them all and lead us through.
So, what we need to do is focus on living in our calling rather than pursuing what’s comfortable.
This keeps us from living a meaningful life, and it keeps us from the joy that God has for us. We want peace because there’s no storm. But the Bible teaches us that peace is found not in the absence of storms, but in the presence of our Savior.
So, focus on your calling. Keep your eyes on Jesus. If you do that you will not only make it through the storm you are facing, but you will find the incredible life of peace and joy that God has for you.
BA in Biblical Studies - Ozark Christian College (2012)
MA in Theology - Regent University (2019)
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