'Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ' [James 1:4 NIV]
Perseverance - the ability to keep on going despite the circumstances is a vital lesson which we need to learn in the school of God. Perseverance is the noun from the verb 'to persevere' which means, according to the dictionary, 'to continue steadfastly, especially in the face of discouragement.' [Virtue's New English Dictionary]. The King James Version states, "But let patience have her perfect work." Notice that patience or perseverance is being regarded as a person who is engaged in a work on our behalf. This is a figure of speech known as personification - an abstract thing becomes a person. The Greek word is hupomone which means 'cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy and enduring patience.' My parents used to talk about 'stickability.' This is what is being spoken about in this verse. Perseverance is good for you! It may be a hard lesson but it will produce character in us. It will make us more Christ-like. It has an important task to complete and it may take time but we are encouraged to be patient and to wait God's time.
Here is the example of Jesus in his perseverance through suffering.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. [Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT]
The old hymn says, "It is the way the master went, should not the servant tread it still." Jesus lived a life of patient suffering in the face of persecution and opposition. So we should not expect our pathway to be any different.
Perseverance has a work to do in our lives. It wants to make us mature and complete. In the last Day Share I was admitting that there are times when I am immature. The Holy Spirit is wanting to teach us the lesson on the need for spiritual maturity. Sometimes the word 'mature' is translated as 'perfect' and that might make us think that the goal is sinless perfection. But that is not what is being spoken of here. In chapter 3, James admits that 'we all stumble in many ways' [James 3:2] and John bursts the bubble of those who claim to have reached a state of sinless perfection (1 John 1:10). But James is speaking about spiritual maturity.
Immature people are always impatient; mature people are patient and persistent. Impatience and unbelief usually go together, just as faith and patience do.
[Wiersbe, Warren W.. Be Mature (James): Growing Up in Christ (The BE Series Commentary) (p. 34). David C Cook. Kindle Edition. ]
So one of the features of spiritual maturity is the quality of perseverance in the face of suffering and trials. As our faith is tested, we learn to trust in God all the more and we begin to experience the joy of deep fellowship and communion with the Lord Jesus. All of these experiences help to produce Christian character in our lives. As we stop trusting in ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to take control, we see the wonderful fruits of the Spirit growing and blossoming- love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5: 22).
This is what it means to be complete and mature.
Thanks again to Karren McPherson for creating this illustration.
Here is another similar one which she created using the jigsaw as a metaphor for our spiritual experience - something lacking to make us complete or perfect.
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