Testing, Testing
Count it all joy my brothers when you encounter trials of
various kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith works patience and let
patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
in nothing. James 1:3
I bought a new car recently, praise the Lord. Cars make our
lives so much easier, especially in a town like this which is too big to bike
across and has a bus system designed by a sadist. While I was looking for a
car, I did a lot of research and talked to my husband and my pre-engineering
student child. (Yes, that was a shameless plug, taking nothing away from my
social work student child.) The previous car was in a crash, and I wanted to
know about safety tests that are done. I found out that there are wind tunnel
tests, extreme conditions tests, engine safety, roof strength tests and crash tests for front,
side and rear. If a car is not tested thoroughly, drivers and passengers can be
in real danger. Threats can come from
any direction depending on where a car is driven, the skill of the driver and
any extreme conditions. While tests are not a guarantee of safety in an
accident they are very necessary.
No one likes to talk about it, but faith is tested too. Like
a vehicle, threats to our faith can come from any direction. They can come from
within our own hearts and minds, (engine safety) or from assaults from the
outside. (crashes) They can be brought on by extreme conditions such as death
of a loved one or financial hardship, or they can be brought on by wear and
tear on our souls. James 1 talks about the wind tunnel test of living in doubt,
tossed about by every wave of doctrine. (1:6) College students often have their
faith tested by being exposed to other views. A catastrophic event in our lives
will shake our faith down to its core, but through God’s grace it can come out
stronger and even be a source of comfort and ministry to others.
I tried to find people in the Bible who had had their faith
tested, and then realized that it was difficult to find anyone who had not. In
Hebrews 11, sometimes called the Hall of Faith, he lists many of the faithful,
and then ends with this in verses 38-40.
The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts
and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.39 These were all
commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40
since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us
would they be made perfect.
There is so much to be said about faith, but let me leave
you with this. In John 6, Jesus was teaching and many people left because what
he said was hard. He looked at the disciples and asked, “Do you want to leave
too?” Peter said, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
I can remember personally where I was when I said something
very similar to God. A friend had drowned trying to save some girls who had
gotten caught in and undertow and I was very angry with God. It was the first
time someone I loved had died. I said to God, “I don’t think I want to play if
that the way you’re going to be. He was a missionary trying to do your work. “
I cried for a while, and then came to the same realization that Peter did.
There was nowhere else to go. No one else has redeemed me and called me by
name. (Isaiah 43:1) Many, many other tests have followed, but He has shown
Himself to be faithful and worthy of my trust. Faith that is tested is faith
that is strengthened. Ride the wave and hold on. He is with you in the storm.
