See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. — James 5:11

James says we count those happy who endure. That's a counterintuitive kind of happiness. Nobody naturally counts suffering as joy. But endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. The testing of your faith produces patience, and patience makes us mature and complete. God's grace is sufficient, and his power is made perfect in weakness. The happy ones aren't those with easy lives—they're the ones who endure because they know who holds the future.