Faith In Action
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
People like winning races far more than running them. We all want to finish the race so we can win the prize for all of our hard work. If we were honest with ourselves, wouldn’t we love to fast forward to the end to skip any challenges along the way? That would be fabulous! We would all love to be able to say, “Hey, I ran that marathon,” and put that badge of honor “26.2” sticker on the back of our cars.
James is telling us not to jump the gun in life. How many times have you set a goal and believed you were more than ready to achieve it, only to fall short and miss the mark? You worked hard, but you just couldn’t finish. It didn’t happen the way you planned.
Perhaps you aren’t ready to cross the finish line yet because God is still working on you exactly where you are.
We can get so focused on the future that we lose sight of what matters today. Crossing that finish line means so much more after you have persevered. Put in the work of training for the race instead of just walking a few steps to the finish line.
I would encourage you, like James did in this letter, to “let perseverance finish its work.” Today may be a small piece of the bigger picture for you. You might still be at the starting line and unable to see beyond the first few steps of your journey. That’s okay! Just start, and stick with it.
God will radically change you and sustain you during the long road ahead. Some days we may feel hopeless. On those days, God asks us to focus on Him so He can give us exactly what we need for the day. Embrace the fact that perseverance is changing you radically, even when you can’t see it. God is equipping you with the understanding you need to take on any situation. Your faith in God will help you persevere.
Reflection: What do you want to achieve with the help of God? Pray that He gives you the energy and guidance to persevere, while also focusing on what you learn along the way.