Sunday, December 11, 2016

Tests By Nina B.


Tests
By Nina B.

I really don’t like test!
Who does?
Still, I have been thinking a lot about these nasty little things called “test” of late.

Test cause tension.

Tension moves things. Think - elevator.

Tension changes the dynamics of a person’s emotional being - you either are torn apart or mushed together, HOWEVER, the change that comes about is inevitable and probably in the long run is not bad because there is movement. (Yes, sometimes we have to take steps back - to see the BIG picture, so you can move forward)

To stay the same is detrimental. It’s unwholesome, ruinous…

Stagnation is not good. When things don’t move, things rot. Things atrophy, they cease to flourish. They die.

When we are TESTED! we discover what we are made of, or it’s confirmed what we truly thought, (which may not be so good). If we are found lacking, then there should be a desire to do better, to improve, to change, to move… The tension that comes about due to the lack of…. whatever, should be motivation to...
DO
something
Differently!

When tested, and one discovers that they are good at something or that you have an aptitude for a specific subject that should serve as motivation to change - IMPROVE! Get better.

NEWSFLASH
You can always get better at something! There is no perfection this side of eternity…

God is looking over my shoulder and directing me. He has the resources, (He’s all-knowing and all-seeing). He loves me too much, to allow me to stay the same. He’s with me 24/7 and wants me to do better. He doesn’t beat me up with criticism - I do that. He lovingly speaks to me about my problem areas. He encourages me to do my best and is so thrilled when I take the littlest of steps.

God tests me. His test are to expose the sin, the bad attitudes, the inconsistencies. He pushes me out from under my covers. He offers the “stuff” of faith, (stuff = the stretching, fortifying mortar for faith-building blocks). He says take the risk and promises to be there when I fall, when I fail… When I fake it...

Can we cheat with test from God?

I think and act like I can, you do too; but really folks - God sees all, knows all… remember? Everything you do is known by God. Can you imagine His face, (I imagine Jesus’ face)? It’s like your face when someone you know did something really dumb - that’s what I imagine.

Do we fear?

Yeah! Sure, betcha - we do!

We shouldn’t. We.... I fear exposure - of being found that I’m not good enough, (according to whose standards - I know not). I fear that I’ve been trying to fool others… Fool myself and failing even at that… Which if you think about it - it’s a good thing that we do fail, (because God should only matter - not mankind. Mankind’s scales are messed-up, dishonest, skewed).

So, when we fail at fooling ourselves we become real - not fake, like the news. What would be the worse thing that could happen if you were honest with yourself and others? Not honest with the intent to hurt/for the sake of doing damage; but honest for simply being what it is - “keeping it real”, (like niece-y says).

And let’s not forget about us testing God!

I know - craziness!

And I’m not thinking in terms of us testing the patience of God, but in a manipulative sense that speaks to trying to understand God’s next move, or buying God - this sounds crazy even as I type it, but it’s what we do folks - you know you do! I know I have.

“I’ll do this, if You do that!”

And really what did it accomplish? Nada!  Do you really think you can outwit God? Think about it!

Test are a part of life. Sometimes getting out of bed can be a test, dealing with a difficult coworker, looking yourself in the mirror, (I mean, really looking), biting your tongue, choosing your words - rather than the first thing that comes to mind, making a decision, (any decision), … Have I hit on your test yet? Just remember, test are designed to give perspective about you.

A question that might be worth pondering is: Do or should we live with anticipation or dread of the next test when we seem to have lived through one? How is this “living the victorious life”/ a life that says, we believe we are conquerors… Till the next thing that surely will be the best of me yet…

We have a hope

...We must merely do the next thing.

This is a resolve, (to settle or find a solution to (a problem, dispute, or contentious matter) - settle, sort out, solve, find a solution to, fix, straighten out, deal with, put right, put to rights, rectify; informal hammer out, thrash out, figure out.)

- not a defeat.

And success is not an impossibility. As believers in Christ we are called to live a victorious life, one that may find you starting over again, (and again, and again…), focus on the fact that you did start again and that you have an opportunity to do something different this time…

...Because of the test!...

...the tension…. Movement…. Change.

We can and should be in constant motion - this way we have greater impact…

For the Kingdom


 We Are Messengers - Magnify



3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the encouragement! Very meaty and I will be thinking on tests now. :o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. :-)They're the moments of life.

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete