The Power of Perseverance is a portion of a quote I read in “Strength in the Storm,” and I’m pondering it with you today.
For Lent 2025, I’ll be writing new blog posts every day. I’m writing for just five unedited minutes on a quote of the day to deepen our faith in this Lenten season.
Day 12 of Lent 2025 – March 16
Strength in the Storm is a compilation book of stories from several Christian women, many of whom I count as friends. In the chapter “Forged Through the Fire,” Andrea Nyberg expounds on James 1:2-4 NIV.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
She says that when we are going through trials, people attempt to console us with platitudes such as, “Don’t worry, it’s all going to be okay! Just keep praying and stay positive. God’s got this!” She admits that she’s been both the recipient and the reciter of those well-intended statements.
But then our quote of the day comes in. When she faced trials, those platitudes didn’t help at all. However, allowing the testing of her faith helped her develop perseverance. Andrea focused on God’s desired character development in her in her suffering.
She writes, “Joy is found in choosing to have hope beyond our circumstances. It is recalling the times God has been faithful before and choosing to believe He will be faithful again.”
She quotes Timothy Keller in “Walking with God through Pain and Suffering,”
“Christianity teaches that, contra fatalism, suffering is overwhelming; contra Buddhism, suffering is real; contra karma, suffering is often unfair; but contra secularism, suffering is meaningful. There is a purpose to it, and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the love of God and into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine.”
I was truly encouraged by the whole collection of stories in Strength in the Storm – I highly recommend you get your own copy HERE.
The Power of Perseverance
In my intense suffering in the past three years, the last thing I wanted to focus on was more character development. I had already invested in over a decade of counseling, plus countless books, seminars, and videos to overcome codependency and a lack of boundaries. I had worked hard on forgiveness every day. After divorce and ridding my life of all abusive people, I was ready to start a new and better chapter. That was my focus.
However, much more suffering followed that was out of my control, and none of it was my fault. I didn’t want to learn about perseverance – I wanted relief from the searing pain. That’s a feeling reinforced by our pain-averse culture.
Yet God set me apart for his glory. I did not turn to the things of the world to comfort me in my grief. I learned to lean more heavily on the Lord as I persevered and continued to trust God had a purpose in my suffering, though I couldn’t see it (and still can’t see it fully today). The language of lament became my most common prayer, and I accepted the invitation to take my anger to God rather than hold it in. In my seasons of depression, I remembered to hold on for my kids’ sake and for the story I’m trusting God to write in my future.
The Perseverance Payoff
I can look back now and see that my perseverance has paid off. As I’ve kept to my rhythms, I’ve stayed true to myself while staying tethered to God. I don’t have guilt or regret from making self-medicating decisions post-divorce, which was only possible because I allowed God to be my portion. My relationship with God has become deeper, more authentic, and more seasoned due to perseverance. I can also see how God is using this character development trial to help me minister to others from a richer place of vulnerability and affirmation.
This character growth could only happen over time, and it couldn’t be rushed. Most of it happened in the dark, where growth is slow. Yet as I’ve learned from growing seeds indoors, some seeds only sprout in the dark. In my current season when the sprouts of hope are just pushing through the surface, I can finally say “Thank You” to God with a genuine heart. The tiny leaves of broccoli, lettuce, and spinach in my garden bed are a living picture of the reward of perseverance.
Join me again tomorrow for another reflection on a different quote. I encourage you to reflect on a special gift God has given you and let me know about it in the comments.
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