Blessed is the One Who Endures Temptation
“Blessed is the one who endures temptation, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
— James 1:12
I had never been to a Bible study where participants were invited to share their reflections. Yet there I was, on a cold day in 2019, stepping into a Bible study on the Book of James led by the late and dearly loved Reverend Ostein Truitt.
Rev. Truitt walked us through scripture line by line, but more than that, she noticed… noticed the text, the Spirit, and most importantly – she noticed the people in the room. She invited us to pause, to be still, and to listen for what God might be bringing to light through the text.
Having grown up in church, I had never been asked to consider what the scripture meant to me. I remember thinking: I can hear from God? And then… share what I hear? To a Reverend!?
When I shared my reflection, Rev. Truitt received it with care. She later reached out and invited me to meet with her. In that conversation, she spoke with me about listening to God, noticing what my heart needed, and trusting that what arises in that listening matters.
Through her guidance, she invited me to participate in Shalem Institute’s Young Adult Life and Leadership program (now Crossing the Threshold). Our cohort began virtually in 2020, amid global uncertainty. In hindsight, it was the perfect time to practice stillness. Shalem taught me that being still in the midst of chaos is not withdrawal; it is grounding. I have come to understand that spiritual formation is not about escaping difficulty, but about staying present within it. Walking alongside a community of like-hearted people provided a steadiness and support I might never have found elsewhere.
As we reflect during Black History Month, I think about the enduring strength and resilience of Black communities across generations. We know all too well the trials that tempt us to turn inward, to rush, or to despair.
Now, just six years after the global pandemic, many of us again find ourselves living amid chaos. I return to the verse that first invited me into stillness: “Blessed is the one who endures temptation.”
Temptation is often understood as the desire to do something wrong or harmful, but it can also appear as the impulse to retreat, to lose faith, or to ignore the call to community. James reminds us that perseverance under trial is not only possible, but transformative. Those who endure receive the “crown of life” or a symbol of spiritual wholeness nurtured through trust and faithfulness. In fact, trials are the very places where growth takes root.
In the legacy of Black spiritual leadership and care, this is our offering: the courage to endure, the wisdom to listen, and the grace to lift others as we reach new heights. What began with my Reverend reaching out to me in a week-night Bible Study has become an invitation I now carry forward. I cannot always resolve the chaos around me, but I can accept the invitation to notice it.
I can listen. I can create space for someone else to hear what God may be stirring within them, just as Rev. Truitt did for me.
She often ended our time together with a simple question, one that continues to echo in my life, and that I now offer to you:
What is coming up for you?