This is only a test

Have you ever been in a room and heard a very loud and abrupt voice say “this is a test, only a test”? then you discover where the test (sound) is coming from, a television, a radio or a computer.

This can be a shock to our hearing! and can send our emotions through the ceiling, but then we realize we’ve been told that the National Broadcasting Network is just doing a test of their system for an emergency. We then settle back down and move about our day. The test didn’t really change how we’re going to continue in our day, it was just letting us know that it works.

As we look at the word “test” today you may have varying thoughts, depending where you are in life (student, worker, teacher, parent, etc.) Let’s look at a few questions around taking a test.

What’s on the test?

What score am I aiming for or what do I need to pass this test?

What’s the purpose of this test?

Who is giving the test?

What if I fail this test?

If you are like most people, you may associate anxiety with a test.

I know I’ve heard many people say, “I’m just not a good test taker”.

You may have even skipped a day of school because you know there is a test scheduled and you’re not quite ready to take it. In all honesty, I’m sure I did this.

Testing is all throughout the Bible so it’s got to be a necessary part of our lives.

I think the word test, kind of scares us and we are okay to just skip them if possible and stay in the elemetary stage of spiritual life. It’s manageable and it doesn’t require much distruption to our day.

But, if we as Christians came to the tests from a different place or view, we could actually know that the Test Giver has designed the test for us to always pass. Too easy? Let’s look at what the Bible has to say about it thourgh a devotional by Oswald Chambers.

Test of Faithfulness

By Oswald Chambers

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God… —Romans 8:28

It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God sovereignly controls his circumstances. We take our circumstances for granted, saying God is in control, but not really believing it. We act as if the things that happen were completely controlled by people. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, or object of our faith— the Lord Jesus Christ. God may cause our circumstances to suddenly fall apart, which may bring the realization of our unfaithfulness to Him for not recognizing that He had ordained the situation. We never saw what He was trying to accomplish, and that exact event will never be repeated in our life. This is where the test of our faithfulness comes. If we will just learn to worship God even during the difficult circumstances, He will change them for the better very quickly if He so chooses.

Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don’t ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.

The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son.

Testing is not a setup for failure, but a time to show us who we are relying upon to walk through the circumstances we face. As we draw from Christ as our resource of power, love and strength, he shows us that the testing is necessary for our growth in relationship with Him.

No one else can take our tests, but just as in school, we can have study partners to encourage us through the testing times. First and foremost, the Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide and secondly, he uses others to help direct us through His Word. This is why Bible study is so important and having purposeful time with Jesus and our Christian family is so important. Encouragement is the best when it comes time to taking tests.

So the next time you find yourself in an abrupt test sounding out, just remember it’s okay! Pray! and ask others to pray for you.

James 5:16

….pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much.

This is a test, only a test and it’s there for your benefit as well as those around you. Testing can lead to growth and you can come through to the other side of a test, changed in an area of your life that was needing a change. This IS the point of the test and the Test Giver wants that for His students (children).

We take tests all the time througout our lives, so set your mind differently and see what God wants for you to know about Him, instead of what do I have to learn from this testing. The test is here to show you His faithfulness In it, For it and Through it. He’s a great test giver and taker! You can trust Him!

Happy Test Taking!

Dayna