Endurance and Patience Will Be Rewarded

In review of James 1:12 it says, “Happy is the man who doesn’t give in and do wrong when he is tempted, for afterwards he will get as his reward the crown of life that God has promised those who love him.”

Bottom Line:

Happy is the one who doesn’t give in and do wrong when tempted, his reward awaits him.

What this means to me:

I will receive a blessing when for enduring testing and temptation. God promises his reward of the crown of life.

The crown of life is like the victory wreath given to a winning athlete. God's crown of life is not glory and honor here on earth but the reward of eternal life--living with God forever. The way to be in God's winners' circle is by loving him and staying faithful even when pressure comes my way.

If good things come to those who wait, then great things are in store for those who are willing to persevere to the end. So If I’m tempted to throw in the towel, I should tie a knot in the end of the rope and hang on. I need to realize that I was not promised that every day will be a walk through the rose garden of life, however I was promised that, as the Friend who sticks closer than any brother, He is the one I can call on in my hour of need.

From what I’ve learned, temptation itself comes from evil desires within me, not from God. It begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when I dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. Then like a snowball rolling downhill, sin grows more destructive the more I let it have it's way. So the best time to stop a temptation is before it becomes too strong or moving too fast that I can control it.

Also, I can be assured that God does not tempt me, rather he does allow Satan to. He does this in order to refine my faith and to help me grow in my dependence on Christ. I can resist the temptation to sin by turning to God for strength and choosing to obey his Word.

So in summary I should not allow myself to get sidetracked! I shouldn’t let satan throw me off my game. If he can send me a problem big enough to deter my focus from the Lord, then he has won the battle. No matter, my challenge, I should stay focused on the Cross. It will be the moral compass that will guide and provide, leading me down the narrow path to life everlasting.

I’m reminded this morning that Christ endured the cross. He endured the temptation to call angels to rescue Him from the worst kind of torture any human could possibly imagine. That is how great His love is for me. No matter what I may be enduring, I can know that a crown of life awaits me if I’m willing to finish the race.