Pass the Test

“Life is a grindstone. Whether it pulverizes or polishes you depends on what you’re made of.”
- Unknown

I recently heard this quote on the radio and it struck a nerve with me. I mean, look at it – really think about it. Doesn’t it almost seem to be picking a fight with you? I don’t know about you, but I don’t like this “do or die”, “put up or shut up” kind of tone. It seems to suggest that something I don’t want to face is just around the corner, waiting to pounce - something that will put me to the test.

I’ve never much cared for taking tests. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I had much anxiety about taking tests like some other kids did. I just never enjoyed having to prove what I learned. I just wanted to be left to the blissful process of discovery (learning), that’s all. Sometimes I feel the same way about my spiritual education. I love studying the Word, praying and interceding, praise and worship, even fellowship. But unfortunately (should I say that word?), none of these things can fully assure me of the authenticity of my faith. That can only be determined by how I handle the trials and the tests I encounter in life.

Well, wouldn’t you know it? I’ve been going through (yet another) test of my faith lately, and quite honestly, I’ve been really tempted to throw in the towel and call it a day on several occasions. I was becoming impatient, anxious, even depressed about my current circumstances. I know the promises that God has spoken to me, both corporately and privately, but until recently, they seemed to be fading in my mind. It looked like nothing was changing, even after all this time, and I was choosing to bow down under the pressure of the facts.

You know the facts, don’t you? They’re the mental teasers whose main job is to relentlessly remind you of the imminent impossibilities that are just too hard to overcome. They’re the joy snatchers that rob you of your desire to hope, to dream, or even to smile. Once they get their claws into your soul, you’re goin’ down if you don’t watch it.

Well, that’s where I was, but that’s not where I am now. PTL! You see, I’ve gotten a clue. It came through the memory of an old hymn we used to sing in church when I was a child:

In times like these, you need a Savior
In times like these, you need an anchor.
Be very sure. Be very sure.
Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock.
That rock is Jesus; yes, He’s the one.
That rock is Jesus; the only one.
Be very sure. Be very sure.
Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock.

I thought to myself, “That’s it! That’s what the problem is!” I had become so distracted by the what of it all that I had neglected to keep my hold (my focus) on the who of it all – Jesus. That old hymn, still nestled inside the recesses of my spirit since childhood, finally took form as a revelation for my present day situation.

Let me break it down… The anchor is my faith, and it keeps me tied to whatever it’s locked onto. From the moment I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, He has been the rock to which my faith is tied. However, just like a boat can be tossed around on stormy waters and go adrift when it’s not properly anchored, I can become the same way when my faith is not properly anchored. In a nutshell, that’s really why the anchor is there; not to control the storm, but to control the boat while it’s in the storm.

Have the circumstances gotten better? No. Do I feel like dealing with them? No. But one good thing has happened. I am no longer manipulated by the facts because I have become reconnected with the Truth. You see, the Truth is not a thing or a concept, it’s a person. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” (John 14:6). He personifies the reality of God’s love, His power, and His promise. He is the standard by which our spiritual maturity is measured.

The simple truth is that life is going to bring many tests our way, and whether or not we want to take them is of no consequence to God. Why not? Doesn’t He care about what we’re going through? Of course He does, but I hope you come to understand, as I have, that God doesn’t allow testing in our lives so He can find out how faithful He is. He allows the testing so that we can find out how faithful we are. As hard as it is to admit, without the tests of life, we really don’t know who we are, or who God is, for that matter.

So I encourage you to do what I am now encouraged to do. Maintain your grip of faith in Christ, especially when things are going well, because when the storm hits (and it will!) you won’t be overcome. You will overcome!

Until next time, meditate on The Apostle Paul’s crash course on How to Pass the Test:

Hebrews 12:2-3, The Message Bible

2-3Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

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