patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. —James 1:2–4 Normal people do not enjoy trials. In fact, most of us do everything possible to avoid the trials of life. However, James is writing to people who were well acquainted with the pain and the challenge of trials. Most of these Christians had faced severe trials even to the point of losing their homes, their jobs, and their security within a community. They had to flee literally for