We all go through stuff, pressures at work, financial pressure, relationship struggles. The early church saw their world turned upside down some were put in the arena to be fed to wild animals, others burned at the stake, others thrown into prison for months at a time. In the middle of this stress, James writes this..
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4
Pressure and stress are really in the eye of the beholder. My friends in Sudan live, joyously, on one meal every other day. Some of our teens are dying if they don't eat four meals per day. Regardless of your tolerance of stresses we all go through stuff. In the early church patience was considered the queen of all virtures, they believed if they had patience they could survive and suceed at anything.
Patience defined in this context has more of a military meaning. James is saying that when you go through things you need to "stand your ground, defend what you have gained". The concept is that when we face our greatest difficulties don't loose the ground you have gained, be unwavering in your faith, be consistent and unflinching in your trust in the Lord.
Like the first century Christians, we will all face trials and battles. Don't allow the intensity of the struggle rob you of how much you have matured. Remember who God is and how He has gotten you through so much, so far, and will get you through every trial and battle with victory if you will just have patience.
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