How to Pass the Test

Posted On May 9, 2021

“You have put us to the test, God;
as silver is purified by fire, so you have tested us.”

Psalm 66:10 GNT

It’s Final Exam time at the college where I teach, and this part of the semester is always full of anxiety for students and faculty alike. None of us like tests. No, not even the teachers. We get just as stressed out as the students do, hoping that everyone will pass. But tests are a part of life in college and of life in general. Rick Warren tells us that everything is a test:

“God continually tests people’s character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty. . . . Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. You are always being tested. God constantly watches your response to people, problems, success, confict, illness, disappointment, and even the weather!”

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

But why? Why does God put us through all of this? As Rick Warren points out, tests both reveal and develop our character. It’s through examination that we can show what we’ve learned (and what we haven’t). More than that, the tests themselves can teach us things and refine our knowledge in new ways. Remember that the goal of the Christian life is to be transformed into the image of Christ. That’s the point. Not to be happy or successful or free from suffering, but to be like Christ. This spiritual refining process can be difficult and downright painful sometimes, but Christlike character is what God is after. The good news is that He doesn’t leave us to figure all of this out on our own. He gives us a Textbook to study and a Tutor to help us. As we read God’s Word and rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us how to apply it in our lives, we begin to be transformed. We discover God’s will for our lives, and we learn how to pass the tests we will face.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2 NIV

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

Romans 15:4 NIV

Have you ever prepared for a major exam by asking someone who has taken the same test what to expect? I think we all have. In fact, God wants us to do this. The Bible is full of stories of people being tested. Some of them passed and some of them failed, but we can gain valuable knowledge and insight either way.

“We don’t know all the tests God will give you, but we can predict some of them, based on the Bible. You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism, and even senseless tragedies. . . . A very important test is how you act when you can’t feel God’s presence in your life. Sometimes God intentionally draws back, and we don’t sense his closeness.”

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

The first instruction I was given in almost every college course I took was to read and study the textbook. We can’t apply what we are learning unless we have a thorough knowledge of the subject matter. God tells us the same thing. We have to read and study His Word every day. We can’t hope to be prepared for the tests we will face if we just skim through it once in awhile or try to cram it all in at once. We must meditate on His Word, slowly digesting it and letting it become a part of us. This process cannot be rushed or skipped. It’s vital to our spiritual growth and preparation. If we’re not doing this, we will become painfully aware of our lack of knowledge the first time it’s tested. If we fail because we’re not prepared, we don’t need to panic or drop the course. We just need to learn from our mistakes and do better the next time. God never gives up on us, so neither should we. He wants us to pass! And He will give us the same test a hundred times if necessary to make sure that we do.

“The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right.  It is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 TLB

“The Holy Spirit is our counselor and our teacher, yet He is more than a teacher — more like a tutor. But He is not just any tutor; He’s the kind who truly loves to spend individual, personal time with each of His students. He is like that rare kind of guidance counselor who actually becomes a friend. He is like the teacher who becomes a personal mentor.”

James W. Goll, The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God

The Bible isn’t the only way God instructs us. He has also given us the Holy Spirit, His presence living in us. The Holy Spirit speaks to us and guides us as we try to learn the lessons God wants to teach us. In the Old Testament, we read about a select few individuals who were given the power of the Holy Spirit. But in the New Testament, Jesus promised the gift of the Holy Spirit would be with all believers. When we become followers of Christ, we are given access to the wisdom and power of God. We just have to ask for it. When we do, He gives us what we need to pass our tests and guides us personally in ways we never could have imagined.

“As we graduate from one level of spiritual development to the next, He remains our lifelong personal Tutor. . . . As we end our days here on Earth, He even prepares us for our postgraduate course in life hereafter! All along, He individually instructs us as to what life lessons we need to learn, and even in what order to take them. . . . God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, likes hanging out with us, and we with Him. The quality of the time we spend fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit has everything to do with hearing God’s voice. . . . Go ahead, ask Him questions. The more specific we become in our asking, the more detailed His answers to us will be. In fact, pause right now and ask God a question. He will answer! Watch out, though, the Holy Spirit might turn around and ask you some questions, perhaps even give you some tests to take.”

James W. Goll, The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life. Even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.”

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

Thinking about every moment of my life as a test makes me see things a whole lot differently! How I respond when life gets hard matters. Do I trust God or do I throw a fit? Do I persevere or do I give up? Do I remember to call on the Holy Spirit for help or do I try to go it alone? How I respond when life is good matters, too. Do I thank God for His blessings or forget about Him? Do I remain faithful in Bible study and prayer or let my habits slide? Do I use my gifts to help others or keep them for myself? When I remind myself that everything is a test, it keeps me focused on Christ. It forces me to think about how He would respond in my place. And then when I realize I can’t possibly pass these tests on my own, it causes me to call on the Holy Spirit for help.

“Some tests seem overwhelming, while others you don’t even notice. But all of them have eternal implications. The good news is that God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows the tests you face to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them.”

Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

When we study hard and ask for help when we need it, we will be successful. It may take more than one attempt to pass a particular test. It may take a lifetime to grasp a certain lesson. But God will never give up on us, and He doesn’t want us to give up on ourselves. God wants us to excel, so He tests us. He refines our faith and builds our character with each trial we face. He’s hard on us sometimes, really hard. But He doesn’t do this for His benefit — He does it for ours.

“God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find out their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn’t.”

C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

This week’s Scripture passages focus on preparing for and persevering through the tests we face. There is a printer-friendly pdf version below the image. We will be tested. That’s part of life. Let’s not be caught off guard. If we study the Textbook and listen to our Tutor, our Teacher will help us succeed!

“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.”

1 Corinthians 10:13 MSG

References:

• Goll, James W. The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God. Regal from Gospel Light, 2008.
• Lewis, C. S. “A Grief Observed.” The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics, Harper San Francisco, 2002, pp. 647-688.
• Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Zondervan, 2002.

Images:

• Test featured image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
• Student at Desk image by kmicican from Pixabay
• Bible Notebook image by Pexels from Pixabay
• Tutor image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay
• Answer Sheet image by F1 Digitals from Pixabay
• Graded Exam image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay