James 5:10-11

Christians must overcome fallen humanity’s instincts. While waiting for something good, our first instincts are to do something to make it happen faster. James told us to learn to wait upon the Lord. When suffering, our first instinct is to lie down and do nothing. After all, I am hurting and I do not feel like doing anything. I hurt; therefore, I should not have to do anything. Feeling this way is normal, it is natural, but it is not righteous.

James tells us that we need to look to the examples of the Old Testament prophets. They suffered; the people beat some and others they killed. It would have been easy for the prophets to give up. After all the people were ignoring their message. The people were rejecting them and God who had sent them. They did not give up, but instead they persevered. They continued to be obedient to God and they continued to be faithful to the people who were rejecting them.

If you are seeking an easy life, when the going gets tough, you will quit. If you are seeking to please others, when they reject you, you will quit. If you are doing good hoping for fame and glory, when the suffering starts, you will stop. Perseverance in the midst of suffering requires more than worldly motivation. Perseverance requires us to have a relationship with the Lord who is full of compassion and mercy.

The prophets of old were able to persevere in the midst of suffering because they were answering God’s call. They were doing what God had told them to do, and when the going got tough, they continued to be obedient. Suffering is a part of every life. Suffering happens and we cannot change that, but we do have a choice about how we respond to suffering. If we are doing what God is calling us to do, suffering will not stop us. In the midst of suffering Christians do not lie down, Christians rise up.