2 Reasons Why God Tests Us
Copyright 2006 Daniel N Brown
We all know that athletes need endurance training for physical
stamina and mental toughness. When game time arrives, he or she
will be ready to do battle and will have a greater chance at
victory. If the athlete does not go through the necessary
preparedness, he or she may not even be allowed into the game.
It's the same in our walk with God. We really shouldn't expect
that we can just ask God for some great position in life with
out any preparation. It's the tests and trials that He allows us
to go through that are what prepare us for the greater things He
has in store in the future.
There are two reasons why God tests us. The first reason is:
1. To Produce Patience
James 1:2-3 tells us, "Count it all joy when you fall into
various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces
patience.
There is a huge misunderstanding of what the word "patience"
actually means. Most people will say that it means to "wait."
But, that's not true. If you look up the word "patient" in
Webster's Dictionary it actually means to bear trials without
complaining.
God doesn't want to hear someone complain anymore than you want
to hear someone complain. Not only that, but complaining only
reinforces your situation. Whatever you talk about and focus on
becomes magnified.
God uses tests and trials to bring patience into our lives
because He wants us to develop a good attitude. A good attitude
then, will make us the kind of person God can use. We will
become perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
The second reason God tests us is:
2. To Make You Perfect, Complete, and Lacking Nothing
James 1:4 says, "Let patience have its perfect work, that you
may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
God sometimes allows storms into our lives to test us so that He
may accomplish a purpose in us. And, that purpose is to prepare
us for greater things (Psalm 107).
If you're facing some challenges in your life today, just ask
God to hold you up, strengthen you, and help you learn what He
is trying to teach you.
Keep in mind that not all storms in your life are from God. Many
times, you can create your own storms by making poor decisions.
The best thing to do in these cases is to ask God to help you
learn from your mistakes.
God can use your own storms to teach you things and use them to
bring you increase. Always remember Romans 8:28, "All things
work together for good to them who love the Lord and are called
according to His purpose."
Be encouraged if things are not what you think they should be.
God has a wonderful plan for your life and He may just be
working on the inside of you right now. Maybe you're just
learning patience. If you've already learned patience, maybe
patience is having it's perfect work, making you perfect and
complete, to where you will lack nothing.