The Business That Wouldn’t Break Him. James 1:12

For seven years, Jordan poured everything into his small contracting business. He started with one truck, a beat-up trailer, and a borrowed ladder. Over time, word of mouth grew, and so did the business. But just as things seemed stable, the trials hit—first a dishonest subcontractor who cost him thousands, then a legal battle, and finally, the unthinkable: a fire in his warehouse that wiped out nearly all his tools.

He wanted to quit. Every voice in his head screamed that he’d failed. His wife, Amanda, tried to hold things together, but the stress seeped into everything—their finances, their marriage, even his faith. Jordan began to question whether God was punishing him or just distant. “I thought I was doing this with integrity,” he muttered one night, staring into the dark. “Why does it feel like You’re gone?”

The next morning, his pastor sent him a text out of the blue: “James 1:12 — Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial…” Jordan read it twice. It didn’t offer a solution, but it struck something deep. This wasn’t punishment—it was a test. A season. A furnace. The blessing wasn’t in the success, but in the standing.

He printed the verse and taped it to his dashboard. Every day, as he rebuilt the business piece by piece, he looked at that verse. Even when only one client called that week. Even when his bank account hit double digits. Even when he had to humble himself and borrow tools just to finish jobs. He kept showing up.

There was no overnight breakthrough. No viral moment. But slowly, things turned. A satisfied client referred two more. A former competitor offered to sell him discounted equipment. And a community grant—one he didn’t even remember applying for—came through to help rebuild his warehouse. It wasn’t flashy, but it was provision.

One night, after putting the kids to bed, Jordan sat on the porch with Amanda. “I wouldn’t have chosen this path,” he said, “but I think I needed it. Not for the business—but for me. I know now what kind of man I am when everything falls apart.” She smiled, leaned her head on his shoulder, and whispered, “One who didn’t.”

Today, Jordan’s business is thriving again. But the verse still rides on his dashboard. Because the crown wasn’t the business—it was the man he became through the fire.

James 1:12 (ESV):

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."