James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

This is the fourth in a series on perseverance in leadership and the Christian life. Perseverance is inseparable from both and must be viewed with a heart and attitude of acceptance and the promise that only God can give. There is never a straight line between us and our goals in life, career and family. There will always be trials, testing, bumps, potholes and even some detours in the road of life. Perseverance is the one character trait which can confirm our strength of character and trust in God, even when He allows trials and testing in our lives. We must have an attitude and commitment to the fact that He is in control and knows what is best. We may not see it up front, but God has a purpose in every trial and testing. He uses them to develop our character and leadership for greater ministry.

Perseverance gives us experience, example and a testimony/witness with a promise to receive the crown of life. We cannot lead out of someone else’s experience, except that of Jesus Christ who persevered all the way to the cross. He received and made available to us the crown of life that God promised and still promises today. Life and the Christian life are not easy and seem to be more difficult in the world today and even in the church. What are we to do in these times? We are to call on the Lord to give us the strength and perseverance to be courageous and stand strong to show that we love Him. Many times, our trials and testing do not seem to make sense from our worldly perspective and none of us like to go through them. However, these are the times that we need to trust God even more and call upon Him. He will walk every step of the way with us. Psalm 50:15 “And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I shall rescue you and you will honor Me.” This is another command and promise from God’s Word. We live in a world today that does not often show perseverance and staying power, and people look for a quick fix or way to bail out. We need to remember the middle verse in God’s Word and let it become the working principle in every trial and testing in life. Live by this, Psalm 118:8 “It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.”