James 1:3 “Trials test our faith…”
Do any of us like tests? Especially tests that come unexpectantly. I remember in school, sitting
at my desk talking to my friends when I would hear the teacher say, “Remove your things from
your desk as we are having a pop quiz! We all moaned, all except the gooddoers, the brainiacs
of the class. That of course was not me. Worse than a pop quiz is forgetting you had a test to
take. Once in high school, I was sitting in geometry class, talking to a friend when Mr. Glenn
said, “Okay class remove everything from your desk except your pencil.” I looked at him with a
face of confusion and asked, “Why?” He responded with, “Bonnie you have your final exam
today.” Ugh, I had totally forgotten about the exam that day, I obviously had better things to do
the night before than study for an exam!
Yes, one could say, I do not like tests of any kind, a pop quiz or a planned but forgotten exam. I
do not know how lawyers can bear to take the bar! Talk about stress. What I dislike even more
is failing a test.
I unfortunately have failed a test a time or two. It never feels good. In school, we must pass the
tests if we intend to graduate from school for good. Think about how many tests you have taken
while in school. The number of tests taken in school is like the amount of candy that falls out of
a pinta. I prefer to have the candy; it is much sweeter.
Life gives us multiple tests in our lifetime. Some years you hardly receive any tests and then
other years you feel like you are drowning in trials. Unlike the tests taken in school, life trials
come unannounced and when we are ill-prepared. These trials are unwanted and seem to serve
no purpose but to make our lives miserable.
James 1:3 tells us these tests are necessary, as they test our faith. God tests our faith not for
his knowledge, but for us to see how weak or how strong our faith is. To encourage us to
change. Yes, I said it- change. We are never too old to change and to become more like Christ.
That is the goal of the trial.
Lexham’s commentary says “the Old Testament is grounded in the idea of God testing the heart,
the mind, the conscience and the thoughts to disclose their inner quality. Testing is also for a
divine purpose of preventing His people from sinning and encouraging them to follow God’s law,
keep His commandments, to love Yahweh and to obey him.” Testing in the New Testament is
the same but also considered when people are enticing one to sin.
Unlike taking a test in school, during our trials we do have a cheat sheet – the Bible.
When in a trial you do not have to wing it. You do not have to wonder about the solution to the
problem. All you need to do is to study His word – then do it. The Holy Spirit will guide you to
what God wants you to know and how to respond in this trial of yours.
In life, we continue to be tested, even after we graduate from school. We go from the world’s
schooling to God’s school. In God’s school, one graduates to the next grade (or level) when you
have learned the lesson God is trying to teach you during your trial. Going from Glory to Glory.
2 Cor. 3:18 “..being transformed into the His image from glory to glory…” In school, you would
learn a lesson, study that lesson then take a test to see if you learned the lesson correctly. God
does the same with us.
In school, the teacher knew we needed to take the tests to show us what we did and did not
know. God is our teacher now. You have been a good student for a few years, now God
believes you are strong enough to take a test. He believes in you as do I. Do not fret, do not try
to get out of it, for He will not let you. Instead, face it head-on. Study the word and pray then the
answers to your test will be revealed. These answers are much sweeter than candy from a
piñata.
