Taking Tests

When I was in school, I was a lazy student. I really didn't study much. I mostly did my homework 5-10 minutes before it was due and accepted whatever grade I got. Of course, my homework grades tended to be not very good. How did I pass then? I was a great test taker. Usually, I would do a little cramming the morning of the test and then that was it. I would just relax my mind and take the test. I always did real well on tests. Even in college, I would see my fellow students cramming all the way up until the final minute...attempting to stuff as much information into their memory as possible. But me, I would just sit calmly waiting for the test to begin. I was almost always the first to finish the test also. People looked at me in amazement. Homework and studying? Nah, I got this test taking bit down pat.

But in the other parts of my life, I was basically a failure at taking tests. You see, one of the metaphors that the Bible says about life is that it is a test. God continually tests our character, our faith, our loyalty, our love, our integrity. All of life is a test. We are constantly being tested. God is constantly watching how you respond to people, success, problems, disappointment, illness, conflict, even the weather.

In school, I was tested on my knowledge of a particular subject. Theoretically, if I passed the test I would move on to the next chapter. If I failed, I was showing that I had not learned the lessons that I was being tested on. Same thing in life. But something went wrong between school and life. I went from being a great test taker in school to being a horrible test taker in life. I failed tests over and over again. God would give me a make-up exam and I would fail again. Sometimes I might pass a small test only to fail the same test a week later. It took me a long time to figure out that I wasn't advancing. Physically, I was an adult. Spiritually, I should have been much further ahead than what I was. Instead, I was like a floundering fifth grader struggling to learn the multiplication table.

Finally, I reasoned that this wasn't working the way I wanted. I started to look back at my past tests and failures. I started to learn where I had gone wrong. Hmmmm, the same red X's were showing up in my life. I was getting certain lessons wrong over and over. This is what started my quest for personal improvement. This learning, this development has been a long process. Similar to getting any education, the learning takes years of dedicated effort. And my reward? More lessons. More tests. Passing one level of tests only qualifies you for the next level. I don't know if Life University offers any degrees but I do know they conduct a lot of testing. And every time you fail a test you are guaranteed to repeat it. Even if you pass it, you can expect a pop quiz over it somewhere down the road...just to insure you haven't forgotten.

So go back and review the tests in your own life. See where you have failed and if they are the same things or not. Study on how to improve those areas and put in the time and effort to ace that test. It's up to you, though. You can keep failing the same tests and, therefore, keep getting the same results in your life to test you. Or, you can be like James in the Bible. James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." I'm working on being perfect and complete. How about you?

Be Careful What You Pray For

So often I hear people praying who are struggling with something. Sometimes, they are having relationship problems. Or financial troubles. Issues with their children. Their health. So many different things that we all endure from time to time. One of the most popular prayers I hear is, "Lord, give me strength." Usually, what they are saying is that they feel their problems are so overwhelming that they cannot handle it and need an extra push to get them over.

However, that is not what they asked for and not how strength is achieved. Anyone who has ever lifted weights will tell you that the way to increase strength is to increase resistance. That's right. You pray for strength, you are praying for MORE resistance in your life....not less. You are asking for an increase in problems. You are asking for more weight to be placed across your shoulders. You are asking for more resistance so that you will develop the strength you prayed for. Be careful what you pray for.

Another prayer I hear people praying is "Lord, give me patience." These people feel so stressed about life that they think they might snap at any moment. That they might have a nervous breakdown. They don't realize they already have patience within them. So, by asking for patience, they are actually asking for more than they already possess. This leads us to the same scenario as with strength. These people will now be given more situations that will require a higher degree of patience from them. They will be given more troubles and more stress and less time with which to get everything done that needs to be accomplished. They will be given this so that they can develop the very thing they prayed for......patience. Be careful what you pray for.

Yes, I say to be careful what you pray for because......you might just get it!!!