Day 4 and 5: Count it all Joy and Persevere

One of my favorite verses is James 1:2-4:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let  perseverance have its full effect, that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

"Count" in this verse means "to consider."

"In the midst of a trial, we will probably not feel the joy, the hope, or the encouragement tucked within this verse -- we have to consider it [...] We have to consider it and park our minds on the truth that our triumph in this trial matters. Triumph in this choice will produce a blessing" (Terkeurst, 2011).

"Perseverance" can also mean "endurance" or "steadfastness." The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of this word is running. Even though I have been removed from running for quite a while now, I still remember how important it was to persevere and endure through every run, workout, or race. It was hard. It was painful. I wanted to give up. But each time I persevered and finished, all the pain was worth it. I also like how Lysa Terkeurst defined perseverance: "Perseverance means having an urgency, firmness, resolve, and consistency."

The blessing that perseverance in trial and temptation brings is this: "that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." This is my desire as a Christian, to grow more and more like Christ. If I keep giving into temptation instead of persevering through it, my spiritual growth suffers.

One thing I need to work on (among a whole slew of other things) is to quote scripture in the midst of temptation. One of my problems is that many times I don't even think of prayer or scripture when I am tempted. Even worse, I may think about it, but I am so consumed with my craving that I choose not to think about it. Every decision that I make with food throughout this journey is important because it will either bring me closer to experiencing victory and freedom or draw me deeper into this addiction. Each time I choose to resist temptation and not give in to my cravings, God produces perseverance in me, which will make it easier to persevere through the next temptation. Overcoming this addiction is going to be a very long process, and each choice I make is important to my recovery.