Being faithful means being convinced in the truth of the gospel of Jesus and choosing to follow him despite the challenges.
James 1:12 tells us that if we’re faithful, we’ll be honored with a crown of eternal life in Jesus.
There are many ways to grow in faithfulness, from praying daily and reading God’s Word to surrounding ourselves with support.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. — James 1:12, NIV
James 1:12 is one of many verses in the Bible that teach us the importance of faithfulness, which is a fruit of the Spirit. But to truly grasp what faithfulness means and the reward that awaits us if we remain faithful, we’ve got to go deeper. So let’s go!
What Does “Faithful” Mean?
Before we dive into James 1:12, we’ve got to build some foundation first. And the best place to start is by understanding what “faithful” means.
Throughout the New Testament, the Greek word for “faith” or “faithfulness” is pistis. And this word is a treasure trove of meaning. Pistis refers to:
Persuasion and credence: Persuade means to “win over” or “convince through reason and truth.” Credence means the belief or acceptance of something as true. In the Bible, persuasion and credence are primarily used in the context of believing the gospel and following Jesus. So, putting them together, pistis means to be completely convinced in the truth of Jesus and believe that following him is the right way.
Conviction: Having conviction means being driven by an unwavering belief, which pushes you despite challenges or hardship. Pistis means moving forward toward what you believe despite the circumstances that surround you.
Pistis or “faithful” means being convinced in the truth of the gospel of Jesus and choosing to follow him despite the challenges.
Exploring the Meaning of James 1:12
By understanding what “faithful” means, we can better understand James 1:12 and its promise. Let’s break the verse down further.
“Blessed Is the One Who Perseveres Under Trial”
Blessed: In Greek, “blessed” is makarios, which literally translates to “happy.” In biblical context, this word is often used when talking about God-given joy or contentment.
Persevere: Hold onto your socks — this word in Greek is hupomoné. It means cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy and patience. In other words, “persevere” means to keep going despite what happens next and to do so with a smile on your face and hope in your heart.
Trial: “Trial” is the word peirasmos in Greek. This means “to put to proof” as well as “adversity.” When you put something to proof, you test it. In Scripture, this is often used when God allows something to happen to strengthen an individual’s faith. However, a trial can also mean a difficult situation we go through.
“That Person Will Receive the Crown of Life That the Lord Has Promised”
Crown: Stéphanos is the Greek word for “crown.” Back in the time this verse was written, a crown would’ve been a wreath or garland that served as a mark of royal or exalted rank. These were often given to those who won public games, such as the Olympic games, symbolizing honor and victory.
Life: The Greek word for “life” is zóé, which is deep in meaning. When you look it up in Strong’s concordance, something incredible is unearthed. Zóé, which literally means “life,”is also defined as an epithet of Jesus. An epithet is a word or phrase that describes a person and is often used in place of that person’s name. Jesus is life (John 14:6). He doesn’t just give us eternal life — he gives us himself.
Promised: “Promised” or epaggelia in Greek means both an announcement, such as a pledge, and a divine assurance of good. This word doesn’t simply mean the act of making a promise to someone —it means a promise of good that’s sure to come to pass. It represents the truth that God’s promises for us are good, and we can be assured that he’ll keep every single one.
Putting It All Together
Life is full of trials. Loss. Disagreements. Disaster. Poverty. But this world and the bad things that fill it are temporary. True joy and contentment even in the darkness comes from the assurance that we’ll get to be with Jesus one day.
That’s a promise we can be fully persuaded and convinced of. We can put our faith in it. When we choose to endure and follow Jesus no matter what, we’ll be honored as victors, receiving eternal life in him as our prize.
We can be happy and content when we cheerfully keep going, even through the hardest situations. Because if we do, we’ll be honored with a victor’s crown of eternal life in Jesus — and we can be assured of that promise.
Two Examples of Extraordinary Faith
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego Choose the Fire & the Father
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” — Daniel 3:16-18, NIV
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced one of the hardest moments we could ever imagine. The king threatened to burn them to death in a furnace if they didn’t bow in worship to his false god.
But the three were faithful to God and God alone. They knew without a doubt that he could save them from the flames. But even if God didn’t, they’d be with him anyway. In their minds, they couldn’t lose — God would be with them regardless. And that truth kept them faithful, even unto death.
In anger, the king made the furnace seven times hotter than usual. He then commanded his soldiers to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and thrown them in.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” — Daniel 3:24-25, NIV
The king then commanded the men to come out of the furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were completely unscathed. Not a single hair was singed, and they didn’t smell of fire. The flames hadn’t touched them!
This is what faith does. When we follow God’s ways, despite our circumstances, he’s with us in the flames. And while situations may hurt for a little bit, we’ll come out unscathed in the end. We have victory in Jesus.
Janna Holds Onto Faith Despite Unimaginable Hardships
When Janna was just 6 years old, she lost her father. Living in poverty in the Philippines, Janna’s family struggled without the provision and care of a father. She watched her mother toil under the hot sun, harvesting sugar cane for a meager living that just wasn’t enough.
When her mother remarried, there was a brief spot of hope. But her stepfather also struggled to provide and to connect with Janna.
“Life has been very difficult. For years, I watched my mother work tirelessly, but our situation didn’t improve. When my stepfather came into the picture, I felt like nothing had changed. He was never close to me, and his support was minimal. I felt isolated.” — Janna
As she grew, Janna was also a victim of severe bullying. Those around her would mock her height and the way she looked. Janna felt alone and worthless.
“There were moments when I thought about ending my life. I felt ugly and isolated. I didn’t have many friends, and I felt like no one understood me. But it was in those moments of brokenness that I drew closer to God. He showed me that my worth is not found in the opinions of others, but in his love for me.” — Janna
At her local Compassion center, Janna found Jesus. She was taught the Word of God by pastors and tutors who became like family. They would even visit her home to pray with her and encourage her.
As Janna was surrounded by community and learned about Jesus’ love for her, her loneliness slowly faded away. In 2020, Janna made the decision to follow Jesus and publicly declared her faith through baptism.
Now, Janna spends her time teaching others about Jesus and the hope found in him. She teaches children in the cane fields on Saturdays, visits homes to share the gospel and serves in her church’s music ministry on Sundays. Janna also leads youth events and fellowships, faithfully pointing others to Christ.
Janna knows that even in the darkness of loss, loneliness and poverty, Jesus is with her. He is faithful. And his faithfulness fuels her to live for him each and every day.
“I am fueled by God’s faithfulness to me. I can easily overlook the poverty, the hardships, the hunger and seeming hopelessness around me when I focus on Christ’s unrelenting love.” — Janna
4 Ways to Grow in Faithfulness
Faithfulness isn’t something we perfect overnight. Just like any fruit of the Spirit, we have to practice and grow in faithfulness.
1. Practice Daily Spiritual Disciplines
Remaining faithful requires daily discipline. Each day, we’re given moments to practice our faithfulness by choosing Jesus over things that distract us or try to pull us off the path. And there are many ways to do so:
Pray: Prayer is a powerful way to stay connected with God throughout the day. In fact, the Bible tells us to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NIV). Take time each day to speak to the Father, even if that’s praying in the car on your daily commute or when you have a rare moment to yourself in the shower.
Read the Bible: Another way to stay connected to the Father is by reading his Word. Find a daily devotional you enjoy. Or try a Bible reading plan about a topic you’d love to learn more about.
Rest in Jesus: Life is hard. And at times, we find ourselves worn down. But Jesus’ yoke is easy and his burden is light. We don’t have to strive to earn his love. Instead, we can rest in Jesus and what he’s done for us. Each day, take time to just sit and think about our Savior and his great love for you. Turn on worship music and drift into a nap (Jesus napped, after all). Resting in Jesus reminds us of the peace he gives us, even when life throws curveballs our way.
2. Replace Thoughts With Scripture
Here’s some truth: Our ability to endure hardship is directly linked to our thoughts. What we think about matters. If we dwell on how hard something is, we’ll begin to wear out. We may even develop anxiety or fear. But if we dwell on Jesus and trust in him, we’ll experience peace. God’s Word says so.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. — Isaiah 26:3, NIV
How do we change our thoughts? One way is by replacing negative thoughts with Scripture. For example, if you think “I can’t do this,” replace that thought with Philippians 4:13 (NIV), which says, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Here are some other examples you can save for later:
Instead of “This is going to end badly,” believe Romans 8:28 (NIV): “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Instead of “I’m not going to make it,” believe Isaiah 41:10 (NIV): “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Instead of “I’m a failure,” believe Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV): “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”
3. Reflect on God’s Faithfulness
Faithfulness to God requires us to fully trust in him. And one way we can learn to trust him is to remember how he has never let us down.
Grab a piece of paper and a pen and jot down where you’ve seen God’s faithfulness in your life. Then, spend a little bit of time reflecting on those moments. I bet your list includes moments where you were at your lowest.
Remember: Even in those dark times, God was there. He was faithful. Let this exercise remind you that he never leaves you or forsakes you (Hebrews 13:5).
4. Surround Yourself With Support
We’re not meant to walk toward Jesus alone. In fact, the Bible tells us that community is critical.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity on anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. — Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NIV
When bad times come, a good friend can remind you of the goodness of God. And when you fall, they can help lift you up and encourage you to keep going.
Find some people you can trust to partner with you. Maybe it’s a couple close friends or family members. Maybe it’s a group at your church or at work. If you’re struggling to find community, ask God for help — he’ll bring the right ones to you.
If you’re going through hard things right now, remember: There’s victory in Jesus. When we endure to the end, we’ll receive eternal life in him. Let this truth inspire you to keep going today. No matter what happens next, as followers of Jesus, we have hope. We can put our faith in him!