This Is A Test; It Is Only A Test.

How many of you remember the blaring emergency broadcast system messages that would show on your televisions? As a child, these messages scared me to death. I had no idea why they would need to broadcast them, but they sounded serious, and that was enough for me.

Tests are a big part of our lives, especially during our youth when we are in school. I was great at taking tests and got good grades. My method for taking a test was to wait until the last minute, do a deep dive into the subject, and memorize as much of it as possible. This method works great for the short term, which was long enough for me to take the test. But, long-term results were not there, and if you asked me the same questions a month later, I wouldn’t have retained the knowledge.

We didn’t have SOLs when I was a kid, and one of my children struggled with those. He had the same method of studying as me, which didn’t work well for the SOLs. His SOL tests happened every other year, but they covered all the subject matter since the last test. So, he wasn’t only being tested on what he learned that year, but the previous year also.

Thankfully, when he got to high school, they tested after each semester, so he did fine. But all of this got me thinking about how the Lord tests us.

We are privy to upcoming tests from the Lord. There is no warning message that a test is now in progress, so we can’t cram to try and pass it with flying colors. Some of the Lord’s tests are fairly easy, but they show our character.

Let’s say that you’re walking into a store and see money on the ground. (Don’t pick it up since that is a trafficking ploy) Do you ask around to see if anyone has dropped money, take it to the manager and explain where you found it, or pocket it and say it is your lucky day?

What would you do if you saw a Facebook post about a family having money issues because of an unexpected illness? Would you give to the go-fund-me page, would you message the people privately and ask what you could do to help, or would you remember they posted about a vacation a couple of months ago and keep scrolling?

There are thousands of scenarios that we encounter that “could” be a test from the Lord. It is hard to know what to do today since there are so many scams. Who would have thought that a $20 bill on the floor of a store could be laced with a drug? We all have to try to make the best decisions for our safety while also wanting to do the right thing.

I have started to look at every situation as a test. I’ll let you know: I get a failing grade way more often than a passing one. However, by thinking of situations as tests, I am more likely to try to do the right thing and go against my natural selfish instinct.

James 1:2-3 NIV
² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

1 Peter 4:12-13 NIV
¹² Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

In school, I was an “A” student without putting in much effort, but life is different. Life doesn’t come with a list of multiple-choice answers for you to choose from, and the tests aren’t timed so that you know how long you are being tested. So, when a particular test seems to be lasting longer than I expected, I know that it is because I have not yet learned the lesson being taught.

James 1:12 NIV
¹² Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

However, according to James, persevering while under trial and coming out on the other side can produce a crown of life. That is worth everything including all the struggles that a test brings!

To GOD Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!