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. (NIV)

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. (The Message)

Blessed means fortunate or happy. And as for endure, well Chambers online reference gives the following:

endure verb (endured, enduring) 1 to bear something patiently; to put up with it. 2 intrans,formal to continue to exist; to last. enduring adj. enduringly adverb.

ETYMOLOGY: 14c: from French endurer, from Latin indurare to harden

So James is telling us that when we bear something patiently, we will be blessed by God. It is a case of standing strong, of standing firm, of continuing to believe in God no matter what we are facing. Just take a look at the definition of trial:

trial noun 1 a legal process in which someone who stands accused of a crime or misdemeanour is judged in a court of law. 2 a an act or the process of trying or testing; a test; bas adj provisional; experimental • on a trial basis. 3 trouble, worry or vexation; a cause of this •Her son is a great trial to her. 4 sport a preliminary test of the skill, fitness, etc of a player, athlete, etc, especially one undertaken by a manager, coach, etc before deciding to offer them a job, a team place, etc. 5 a test of a vehicle's performance held especially over rough ground or a demanding course. 6 a competition, usually over rough ground, to test skills in handling high-performance cars or motorcycles. 7 (usually trials) any competition in which the skills of animals are tested • sheepdog trials. 8 an attempt. verb (trialled, trialling; US trialed, trialing) tr & intrto put (a new product, etc) to the test • trialled the new TV sitcom in our area. trialist or triallistnoun. on trial 1 in the process of undergoing legal action in court • on trial for murder. 2 in the process of undergoing tests or examination before being permanently accepted or approved.stand trial see under stand. trial and error the process of trying various methods, alternatives, etc until a correct or suitable one is found • got there by trial and error.

ETYMOLOGY: 16c as noun; 1980s as verb: French.

Trials here mean a testing, when we are tried to see if we are strong enough to measure up, to stand up to whatever things life may throw at us. This testing, and how we fare, will show exactly what we are Made of, how strong, how deep our faith is.

When bad things happen, when there is illness, death, lack of money, no work, no job. Problems left, right and centre, what do we do? Do we blame God for all that we are going through? Do we recant, deny our faith, tell ourselves there is no God or of there is, He just doesn't care about us? Do the things we go through in life weaken our faith, our resolve, or do they strengthen it, deepen out belief and trust in God, in Jesus, and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

What do we really believe when there is no way to turn, no way out?

The way we behave when we are going through trials, through life's problems is an encouragement to other believers. It can also be an encouragement to ourselves as we carry on and realise we are stronger than we thought. Of course, if we are unable to withstand the trials, the temptations, it can also be a warning. You only have to look at the high profile pastors who have been found out in adultery and so on, and how this gets portrayed in the press.

But if we continue to have faith in God, no matter how small that faith may be, we will be blessed by God and will receive the crown of life. This is the gift of eternal life given to those who endure because their faith is real, genuine, just like Job who underwent so much. This is the victor's crown that was placed on the head of the winning athlete in ancient Greece. It is not glory and honour here on earth, instead it is the reward of eternal life in heaven.

It can be a struggle to hold onto our faith when things get hard. After all, how can we trust a God who lets us go through illness, financial problems, job worries, and everything else we have to face? But as Paul says:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:3-5, NIV)