The Power of Perseverance

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Picture this: a lone figure, muscles straining, lifting weights that seem impossibly heavy. The sweat, the grit, the undeniable tension in every fiber of his being—it’s all part of the struggle. And it’s this very image that I chose for my devotional on James 1:3-4.

In a sense, it’s a reminder of how our faith grows in the hard places, in moments that test every ounce of strength we think we have.

When I began creating the imagery for this lesson in Regaining Hope, I knew I wanted something that would resonate deeply. The verse from James says it perfectly:

“For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

This idea of spiritual weightlifting—of endurance and growth through challenge—has always struck a chord with me. It’s so easy to want strength without struggle, wisdom without learning, or growth without hardship. But if life’s storms have taught me anything, it’s that true strength, like that of the weightlifter in the image, only comes from bearing the weight we’d rather avoid.

When it came to coloring this image, I wanted to use a palette that conveyed not only the struggle but also the transformation that comes through it. The red is fire, the kind of heat we feel in moments that push us, moments that test our patience, resilience, and courage. Red is a reminder of discomfort and the friction that shapes us. It’s the fiery determination that says, “I may be uncomfortable, but I’m not backing down.”

Then, I layered in blue to represent the tension—like a storm, like the meeting of hot and cold fronts. Blue, for me, symbolizes both calm and chaos, the stillness we want and the discomfort we sometimes face. It’s a balance, a place where strength and vulnerability meet. Together, these colors create a purple—the color of royalty, the color that represents the person we become through endurance. Purple marks the victory of having come through the storm stronger, wiser, and more complete.

As I colored the strong man in this devotional image, I couldn’t help but think of how we all face our storms. It may be a season of waiting, a period of loss, a time of testing in faith, or an obstacle we didn’t see coming. And, just like the weightlifter, we feel the weight, the strain, and the uncertainty of whether we can lift it.

The journey of growth is often challenging, but God uses it to make us “perfect and complete,” just as James 1:3-4 promises. Each weight, each challenge we lift, transforms us, just as the colors in the image blend to form something powerful and resilient.

So, if you’re in the middle of a storm, remember the weightlifter’s journey. Just like him, you have the strength within you to persevere, to let that endurance grow, and to come through the storm transformed. Let the colors and the imagery in this lesson from Regaining Hope serve as a reminder that, even when the weight feels too heavy, God is working in you, building a strength that nothing can shake.

Access the entire study in Regaining Hope. Click here.