Two Reasons Why God Tests Us

by: Daniel N. Brown

We all know that athletes need endurance training for physical stamina
and mental toughness. When game time arrives, he or she will be ready
to do battle and will have a greater chance at victory. If the athlete
does not go through the necessary preparedness, he or she may not even
be allowed into the game.

It’s the same in our walk with God. We really shouldn’t expect that we
can just ask God for some great position in life with out any
preparation. It’s the tests and trials that He allows us to go through
that are what prepare us for the greater things He has in store in the
future.

There are two reasons why God tests us. The first reason is:

1. To Produce Patience
James 1:2-3 tells us, "Count it all joy when you fall into various
trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
There is a huge misunderstanding of what the word "patience" actually
means. Most people will say that it means to "wait." But, that’s not
true. If you look up the word "patient" in Webster’s Dictionary it
actually means to bear trials without complaining.

God doesn’t want to hear someone complain anymore than you want to
hear someone complain. Not only that, but complaining only reinforces
your situation. Whatever you talk about and focus on becomes magnified.

God uses tests and trials to bring patience into our lives because He
wants us to develop a good attitude. A good attitude then, will make
us the kind of person God can use. We will become perfect and
complete, lacking nothing.

The second reason God tests us is:

2. To Make You Perfect, Complete, and Lacking Nothing
James 1:4 says, "Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

God sometimes allows storms into our lives to test us so that He may
accomplish a purpose in us. And, that purpose is to prepare us for
greater things (Psalm 107).

If you’re facing some challenges in your life today, just ask God to
hold you up, strengthen you, and help you learn what He is trying to
teach you.

Keep in mind that not all storms in your life are from God. Many
times, you can create your own storms by making poor decisions. The
best thing to do in these cases is to ask God to help you learn from
your mistakes.

God can use your own storms to teach you things and use them to bring
you increase. Always remember Romans 8:28, "All things work together
for good to them who love the Lord and are called according to His
purpose."

Be encouraged if things are not what you think they should be. God has
a wonderful plan for your life and He may just be working on the
inside of you right now. Maybe you’re just learning patience. If
you’ve already learned patience, maybe patience is having it’s perfect
work, making you perfect and complete, to where you will lack nothing.