#Blessed Are the Steadfast [James Study Week 3a, James 1:12]

I started writing this week’s post, and I didn’t get much further than verse 12. So this week’s study will come in two parts. First, this post will look at James 1:12, a transitional verse that closes out the previous section in James’ letter and leads into a new section. Then later this week, we’ll look at James 1:13-18.

What It Really Means to Be #Blessed: James 1:12

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

James 1:12

“Blessed.” It’s a word our culture has overused and misunderstood. It’s a word that has become a joke on social media. New car! #blessed. Big house! #blessed. And maybe that’s not entirely wrong. “‘Blessedness’ has to do with well-being in life that flows from the favorable position in which one is rightly related to God”[1]. 

We’ve gotten part of our understanding correct. We receive good gifts and recognize that we have some well-being in life. But what we often miss is that those gifts aren’t necessarily because of our right relationship with God. That’s why the psalmists and the prophets over and over again lament that the wicked prosper (see Psalm 73). Often it looks to human eyes like the wicked are ones who are #blessed. 

“Being right before God gives us peace in this life, even in trials, because we know our reward is coming.”

Yet they are not in right relationship with God. We can’t always understand why the wicked seem to prosper, so like the psalmists we have to come before God as we wrestle with that reality. (We also need to check ourselves and consider if we’re not the righteous blessed but actually the prospering wicked. The Pharisees got it wrong; let’s take that as a warning.) So what does James really mean when he uses the word “blessed”?

Throughout the book of James, we can hear echoes of Jesus’ ministry. Think back to the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said crazy things like, “Blessed are those who mourn,” and, “Blessed are those who are persecuted” (Matthew 5:4, 10). Being blessed doesn’t necessarily mean material possessions in this life (although it can—see Job 42:12). But it always means right standing before God, and being right before God gives us peace in this life, even in trial, because we know our reward is coming.

The Crown of Life Will Not Disappoint

James then tells us that the person who is blessed is one who remains steadfast in trial, for they will receive the “crown of life.” I wonder if we’d be more motivated to endure if James instead dangled the #blessed reward of a new car or a big house—or even a few good nights of sleep and a kid-free vacation. Honestly, those things sound pretty enticing to me.

But the crown of life? Not so much.

Do we brush that prize off, believing the crown of life isn’t all that exciting? I do sometimes. The “crown of life” sounds esoteric and intangible. If we could have something we can wrap our fingers and our minds around, well then we’d maybe be more compelled to faithfully endure.

But James seemed to believe that the Jewish Christians who received his letter would be spurred on by the crown of life as their reward. Throughout the whole letter, he talks about being steadfast in trial and doing the work of living out their faith. And all for what? A gaudy tiara? Not quite.

James isn’t talking about a jeweled crown for royalty. The metaphor here is more like the laurel wreath an athlete received after winning a race. It’s a picture of finishing—and finishing victoriously. It’s the ultimate picture of God saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The crown of life is God himself giving us not a shiny piece of jewelry, but eternal life itself—with all the glories and benefits that come along with it.

Maybe that reward still feels out of reach. Maybe it seems less appealing than money or security or health right now. But the prophets, disciples, and countless others throughout history have gone to their deaths, believing that the upside down kingdom life Jesus calls us to now would someday be worth all the hardship. Jesus himself endured the cross “for the joy set before him” (Heb. 12:2). We’re running a race, the writer of Hebrews says, and we’re running for a prize that will not disappoint.

There must be something to this crown of life. It must be worthwhile to remain steadfast, to not grow weary in doing good (Gal. 6:9), to lift our drooping hands (Heb. 12:12), to abound in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58), to not lose heart (2 Cor. 4:16), to remember the weight of the glory to come (2 Cor. 4:17).

Clinging to Hope

We can’t remain steadfast without hope. But when we cling to hope, when we believe that our reward to come will be absolutely and completely worth it, we can endure whatever trials and tests come on this side of eternity. Our finite minds can’t fully comprehend all God will one day do—but that’s where trust comes in. Do we actually believe that the crown of life will be worth it? Will we live our lives in right standing before God, knowing that being “blessed” may not result in a reward right now? 

“When we have hope, believing our reward to come will be worth it, we can endure whatever trials and tests come on this side of eternity.”

Steadfastness requires that we give up the need for instant gratification and replace it with faithfulness and endurance as we live our Christian lives. This is not easy. It takes work. It takes humility. It takes a willingness to be uncomfortable, to mourn with others, to fight for justice, to get our heads out of the sand and be willing to live a life that’s not just about our own ease and happiness. I’m not good at this. I like doing something and immediately reaping the reward. I don’t want to wait, and I don’t want to have to keep enduring. But as we saw in the last section of James, it will be worth it.

Remaining steadfast requires that we put our faith into action as we cling to the promises of God, come what may—because doing so and being right with God will yield a reward we cannot even fathom. Thanks be to God.

Reflect

• Read the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). Who does Jesus say is truly blessed?

• Look back at James 1:9-11. In those verses, James talks about the rich passing away. By contrast, what does the person who remains steadfast in trial receive (verse 12)? Does that reward seem worth it to you? Why or why not?

• What does it look like this week for you to remain steadfast? How is God calling you to put your faith into action, even if it’s hard?

[1] Longman, Tremper, David E. Garland, et al. Hebrews—Revelation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006, p 219.

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