Life Is a “Kobayashi Maru” Test

Posted On June 28, 2020

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”

James 1:12 NIV

In case you aren’t a Trekkie (or Trekker, as some Star Trek fans prefer to be called), here is some background: The Kobayashi Maru test is a fictional no-win scenario in Star Trek used to determine the character of Starfleet Academy cadets. During the simulation, the cadets must choose whether or not to rescue crew members of the Kobayashi Maru, a Federation ship stranded in the Klingon neutral zone. As members of Starfleet, they are obligated to rescue the crew, but the neutral zone is a region of space they are forbidden to enter. If they decide to attempt a rescue, they will face hostile enemy ships with no hope of escape. The point of the test is to force the cadets to face a no-win situation and think about what they would do. It’s not so much a test to pass as it is a test to learn from. The following scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan shows the test in action. I should mention that there is one occurrence of “mild language” at time stamp 1:22. It’s an odd choice by the writers considering that the character who says it is Vulcan — I didn’t think Vulcans ever swore! Anyway, if you wish, you can skip over a few seconds of the clip (say, from 1:20 to 1:24) without really missing anything.

“Cadet Saavik: Any suggestions, Admiral?
Admiral Kirk: Prayer, Mr. Saavik. . . .”

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

How many of us have been feeling like life is no-win scenario, especially this year? From a global pandemic to riots to murder hornets (I mean, really?!) to hail storms to . . . I don’t even want to list any more. It’s like a bad disaster movie. We wish it would hurry up and end! But, unfortunately, we don’t have that power. All we can do is ride it out . . . or is there more we can do? Maybe there isn’t anything we can do to fix all the problems, but is there anything we can do to fix ourselves? As Admiral Kirk suggests, prayer would be a good place to start. Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life says that life is a test. He points out that throughout the Bible, God continually tests people: He tests their faith, their obedience, their integrity, their love, and their loyalty. Why does He do this? Is He trying to trip us up? I don’t think so. I think He wants us to see what we’re made of and then help us grow from there. The trials of life can reveal our character, but more importantly they can develop our character.

“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”

James 1:2-4 MSG

As hard as it is, suffering is one of the ways that our faith is tested and refined. It makes us focus on what’s really important. When I was in college, I found that I learned more in the classes which had mandatory final exams. Testing forced me to review and study the most important lessons of the course. I often discovered things I had missed, or hadn’t fully understood, earlier in the semester. Our life is the same way. In Judges 3:1 we are told about “the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan.” In verse 2 we are told the reason: “he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience” (NIV). Testing isn’t just for the purpose of showing what we already know; the process of testing also helps us learn even more. This was true when the Israelites fought battles in the promised land, and it’s still true today. The trials we face can help us grow stronger and wiser.

“Being satisfied in God (or anything) always seems easier when all is going well. But when things you love are being stripped out of your hands, then the test is real. If God remains precious in those moments, then his supreme worth shines more brightly. He is most glorified.”

John Piper

Randy Alcorn points out that God is the Master Sculptor and He calls us to yield to His chisel. If we refuse, we won’t reach the potential God sees in us. Peter said: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV). These trials have come so that our faith may bring praise and glory and honor to Jesus Christ. God will give us the power not only to endure them but to grow from them until we reach the eternal joy of heaven. In Matthew 13:43 Jesus said, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (NIV). As Randy Alcorn reminds us, this transformation starts here and now.

“God isn’t just preparing a place for us.
He is preparing us for that place.”

Randy Alcorn, Seeing the Unseen

But this is only part of the story. In the Star Trek world, the Kobayashi Maru test was only ever beaten by one man: James T. Kirk. As we see in the next video, he doesn’t like to lose!

“Kirk: I don’t believe in the no-win scenario.”

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

This world is filled with injustice and evil, and it seems like there’s nothing we can do about it. Is it a no-win scenario? It sure seems like it sometimes. After all, we are told in Habakkuk 1:13 that God is “too pure to look on evil,” but we are also told in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (NIV). God cannot look upon sin, but we are all sinners. This sounds like a no-win situation. Is there really nothing that can be done to “beat the test?” Maybe not for us, but there was Someone who defeated evil once and for all. Because of Jesus Christ, we have already beaten the test. God cannot look upon sin, but Jesus covers our sins with His own blood so that God sees us as we were meant to be: His beloved, perfect children. This is why He doesn’t want us to feel defeated by the trials we face but to learn from them. Once we have accepted Jesus’ invitation to give our lives to Him, we cannot lose. But we can grow. And we can tell others about God’s amazing gift of grace. The more we grow and mature in faith, the more we develop the character of Christ. This gives us the confidence to say, “I don’t believe in the no-win scenario. I believe in Jesus Christ.” This gives us hope for the future. This gives us the power to make the world a better place — even in 2020!

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:12-14 NIV

Rick Warren explains that according to the Bible, life is a test and a trust. It is also a temporary assignment. We are always being tested in all circumstances. God watches how we deal with others, how we face problems, and how we handle success. Every moment is an opportunity to grow in faith and character . . . or not. That’s kind of a scary thought, at least for me. I know there have been many times I could have made God proud, but I fell short. The good news is that He promises to be with us and help us. He wants us to pass! As a teacher, I can relate. I always want my students to do well. If they are having trouble with anything, I want them to come to me right away for help. There are some topics in mathematics that just don’t “click” right away. It takes time, effort, and practice to learn them. The process can be hard, but it’s worth it in the end. When I’m calculating final course averages, it makes my day when the student who was struggling manages to get exactly the grade needed to pass the class. If I feel that way, imagine how God must feel when we do well on His tests. If we are struggling, we can always call on Him for extra help. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it” (MSG). Randy Alcorn reminds us that it’s during times of hardship and suffering that we learn to turn to God and depend more on Him. That’s how we become spiritually stronger, less fearful, and more effective in sharing the gospel with others. There are some lessons in the Christian faith that just don’t “click” right away. It takes time, effort, and practice to learn them. The process can be hard, but it’s worth it in the end!

“This is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it,’ not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.”

C. S. Lewis

This week’s Scripture passages focus on testing, teaching, and learning. There is a printer-friendly pdf version below the image. May we all study the lessons God wants us to learn so that we can become the people God wants us to be!

By the way, the Vulcan salute originally came from Spock actor Leonard Nimoy’s Jewish heritage. This hand sign, performed with both hands, is part of a Jewish Priestly blessing of the descendants of Aaron (Moses’ brother). Nimoy witnessed the blessing as a child and thought there was something “magical” about the hand sign. He introduced it as part of the Vulcan greeting “Live long and prosper” in the Season 2 premier of the original Star Trek series. Not only does the hand sign have its origins in Judaism, but — and I’m only speculating here — maybe the saying does as well. Here are Moses’ words to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the promised land:

“So Moses told the people, ‘You must obey all the commandments of the Lord your God, following his directions in every detail, going the whole way he has laid out for you; only then will you live long and prosperous lives in the land you are to enter and possess.'”

Deuteronomy 5:32-33 TLB

Life is a “Kobayashi Maru” test. But there was one Man who beat the no-win scenario. He did this, not for Himself, but for us. Because of His sacrifice, the test of life is not a test that we have to pass — it is a test we are instructed to learn from. As we struggle with our mistakes, rely on our Teacher for help, and practice what we’ve learned, we grow and mature in faith. It takes time, a lifetime in fact, to grasp all the lessons God wants to teach us. It can’t be rushed. God takes His time molding us into the people He wants us to be so that we can flourish in this world and in the next. He promises to be there every step of the way so that we may, in the words of Spock . . . and Moses:

“Live long and prosper.”

References:

• Alcorn, Randy. Seeing the Unseen, Expanded Edition: A 90-Day Devotional to Set Your Mind on Eternity. Multnomah, 2017.
• “Kobayashi Maru.” YouTube, uploaded by almstopable, 3 March 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N-H1lz3OJ4.
• Star Trek. Dir. J. J. Abrams. Paramount Pictures, 2009.
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Dir. Nicholas Meyer. Paramount Pictures, 1982.
• “Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan – Kobayashi Maru.” YouTube, uploaded by Mike Leo, 4 November 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScFCIqIiTl8.
• Traves, Lindsay. “This is Why we ‘Live Long and Prosper.'” startrek, 17 May 2019, www.startrek.com/news/live-long-and-prosper-jewish-history-month.
• Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Zondervan, 2002.

Images:

• Star Trek (Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner) featured image by skeeze from Pixabay
• Vulcan Salute image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay