Tests are just a fact of life. The good thing about that is the confidence it gives. We board a plane held together by welds and bolts and rivets, and controlled by electronics too complicated for most of us to understand, and flown by a man we don’t know… 6 miles above the ground at 600 mph. No problem. We’re confident that the design, materials, manufacturing processes, maintenance procedures… AND the pilot… have all passed rigorous testing. But what if you saw advertising by an airline that boasted, “We offer super-low fares, because we cut out all that testing to save money, and hire unlicensed cab drivers as pilots? Uhh, no thanks. I’ll fly another airline… or take a bus… a car… bicycle… hey, I’ll WALK if that’s the only option!
How about your realtor, your general contractor, your electrician, your pest exterminator, your auto mechanic, your accountant, your kid’s teacher, your deacons? …Deacons??? Yes, God even requires that bishops and deacons should “first be proved”… not a novice. (See 1 Timothy 3:1-13) He must be a man, who over a period of time, has consistently passed the tests. One who has overcome temptation; made the right decisions when faced with real life choices; who rules well; and has not let any of the attractions and pressures of the world prevail against him.
So, if successful proving (or testing) is a requirement for God to put someone into an office in His church, it can’t be a bad thing in itself. As a matter of fact, I see at least 34 times in the Bible where it says specifically that God Himself tries or proves man. God is good, and only does GOOD, so you know His kind of trying and proving is good. God’s tests are an opportunity to demonstrate a capability and readiness for the next step higher. When you want a driver’s license, or a professional certification, or a few more letters after your name, you look forward to taking the test, and you prepare for it.
The reason trials and tests and proving get such a bad name is because of all the stealing, killing, and destroying by the devil, that is mislabeled as tests from God. What if, all your life, whenever somebody had a headache, everybody called it a realtor’s exam? I’m sure there’d be fewer people wanting to be realtors. It’s sad to say that many people have been turned away from giving their lives to the Lord, because they’ve heard over and over from those who claim to represent God, that the horrible, painful things in their lives are trials and tests from God to draw them closer to Him. How could they ever love or trust a God who did that? Why would they even WANT to get closer to Him?
See why that old “trials and tests” teaching is such a cruel, twisted, devilish thing? And why our loving heavenly Father would hate it? That’s why I’m going to keep shining more light on it in more posts to come. God is GOOD! ALL the time!
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