Forged in Fire: How Trials Build Endurance

(James 1 Reflection)
June 19, 2025 | By Inez Como

I woke at 3 a.m. this morning — not in distress, but in stillness. My mind wasn’t racing with fear or regret like it once would have. Instead, James chapter 1 was pressing on my heart, quietly and firmly, like the whisper of the Holy Spirit in the dark.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…” (James 1:2)

I’ve come to learn something: trials don’t just pass — they build. They forge.

Earlier in my sobriety, rejection cut me open. After years of addiction, relapse, and deep spiritual wrestling, I finally shared my testimony with my family. But the response? Silence. Only two family members acknowledged it. At first, that silence screamed. It made me feel unworthy again. Unseen.

But now… the silence doesn’t break me. It builds me.

God gave me a visual as I lay in bed:
Each “trial of various kinds” — every silence, rejection, or cold shoulder — has been like another layer of steel added to my shield of faith. Every time I wanted to quit, and didn’t. Every time I spoke truth and was ignored. Every time I walked in obedience and saw no applause.

Another piece of armor.
Another weld.
Another reinforcement.

“…the testing of your faith produces steadfastness…” (James 1:3)

What felt like a wound at the start has become a weapon of endurance. Not because I’m growing harder — but because I’m being strengthened. Shaped. Refined. Like a blacksmith hammering steel in fire.

God isn’t wasting my pain. He’s using it to shield me.

“Blessed is the one who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life…” (James 1:12)

This crown is not for the strong in their own strength. It’s for the ones who just kept walking. Who kept sharing their testimony even when it landed on silent ground. Who woke up at 3 a.m. not in panic — but in praise.

I’m not done yet. And neither are you.

🖋️ Lord, thank You for building my endurance through trial. Help me remember that silence does not mean absence, and rejection does not mean failure. You are forging something eternal in me. Amen.