🔨God is called the tester of hearts. We encounter many unexpected and challenging situations in life. And some of these situations are actually a test from God. ✌️ But overcoming those trials is where the real test lies.
Life is more than struggles and blessings. Life is a process of being equipped for divine purposes, and that involves tests. This article and the video below explain in very practical terms 7 ways to pass all God’s tests in your life.
1. Expect God’s tests. Don’t be surprised
This first point may be something of a surprise to many, but it should not be. Many fail God’s tests because they are taken by surprise, caught off guard. They do not expect to be tested, they think everything will be easy in life and at least that God will not require anything challenging from them. They only expect challenges from the devil, not from God.
In previous articles in the series, we saw that God examines people’s hearts and tests them so that He can give to each one according to his ways. Jeremiah 17 told us that. He tests us to determine whether we deserve a particular promotion or blessing.
So to pass God’s tests, be ready for them, and take them in your stride. The apostle Peter wrote as much to the Christians of his day who were confronted with challenging situations. He spoke of their fiery ordeal and how they should not be surprised when it shows up, rather they should rejoice.
1 Peter 4:12-19
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory.
Similarly, you should not be surprised at God’s challenging instructions. Look at life’s circumstances in light of divine testing. Don’t throw that tantrum, don’t walk out on your church because you are not being allowed to use your gift or whatever the challenge is. It may just be a test of character. Are the fundamentals of the Christian life in place in your life?
When you are rejected, face a backlash, whatever, do not be surprised. Choose to respond with joy, faith, and hope. It is the fact that we are caught off guard that we misinterpret the tests of life and attribute them to our enemies, the devil, etc.
2. Pass God’s tests with Wisdom
Surely this comes as no surprise. The second way to pass tests of God is by employing the timeless principle of wisdom. We need great wisdom to recognise the tests and to know how to deal with them.
We need more wisdom to navigate the meandering walkways of life than we often realise. So much is lost in relationships and situations because of a lack of wisdom. As a young woman, I wondered at the lack of wisdom of older people. However, as I grew older, I came to the earth-shaking realisation that wisdom was not necessarily readily available with age.
We must pray for wisdom in life. Lack of wisdom causes unnecessary struggle, much expenditure of energy with little results. This comes out clearly in this passage of Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 10:10
10 If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge, then one must exert more strength; however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.
3. Humility to pass God’s tests
Humility is a prerequisite for passing divine tests. You cannot complain, fuss, argue with God when you are in a test of life. Humility is an expression of wisdom, the understanding that we are totally at God’s mercy.
We, therefore, humble ourselves and follow His ways. We submit to whatever requirements He imposes on us to pass the test. Abraham humbly submitted to God’s test. He could have fussed and refused, after all, God had made him let go of his other son, had made him strong promises that hinged on the life of this one child.
Sometimes we can only pass the tests of God through humility because the thing we are required to do demands humility. God may pull you out of something very successful and put you somewhere that appears to be a demotion. Humility will stand you in good stead, as you will be well positioned for the promotion that will come when your character has been assessed and found suitable.
We must submit to the authority of God and consider Him entitled to impose a particular conduct on us.
4.Faith to pass God’s tests
One of the most powerful statements made about Abraham concerning his attitude in life is in Hebrews 11 quoted below. It says that Abraham considered God to be able to raise him from the dead. So he passed the test of offering up his son because he trusted in God’s ability to resurrect him.
This is critical to passing any test of God’s, your faith in Him, His ability, and willingness to do what is required if you were to obey him. During trials, we must learn to lean on the Word and promises of God. He is more than able.
Hebrews 11:17-19 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and he was offering his unique son, 18 the one it had been said about, Your seed will be traced through Isaac. 19 He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead, and as an illustration, he received him back.
This is hugely encouraging because we have ringside seats to Abraham’s life and have seen him at other moments when he doubted. But he grew in faith. Faith, endurance, perseverance are often tested.
In ministry, you will face tests. Your friends with whom you started ministry may now bear high-flying titles as the work entrusted to them has grown and expanded. Yet you find yourself struggling in a difficult location with a handful of people who are barely there. God did not call you to ministry to destroy your life, trust Him.
5.Submission to the sovereignty of God
This point is closely linked to humility but merits a separate point of its own. Some things fall under the sovereignty of God and we cannot change them by faith. God can send you to any location or require things of you that you would not want. He is God, He is sovereign.
Many years ago, in Salvador da Bahia I had an experience that changed me. I would go to class in the morning and spend the afternoons praying on my couch, I was impelled to do it and could not go out as I had planned.
At some point, I had a vision of myself hanging from a thread and God holding the thread. It came powerfully home to me that if He were to let go of the thread, I was finished. I was filled with the consciousness of my utter dependence on His goodwill and my inability to control any part of my life. We must rely totally on the power and wisdom of God.
Submission empowers us to serve faithfully, worship, and maintain a good attitude throughout the test. This in turn will cause us to pass in flying colours.
6. A spirit of obedience to pass God’s tests
This list would be highly deficient were we to leave out this oh-so-vital topic of obedience. We pass God’s tests by doing whatever we are told to do. When God asked Abraham to give Him his only son, the next morning, Abraham headed out to do what God had asked him. His obedient was prompt. Many of us, unfortunately, drag our feet and miss a season, consequently failing a test.
The other day, a powerful prophetic word came forth in the course of the service for a person. On simple instruction was given the person, nothing hard, albeit slightly challenging for them. One week later, they had not even taken a single step of obedience.
I have observed this attitude in believers for decades now. God was very specific about the outcome of Abraham’s test being tied to his obedience. He spoke to him and said because he had done what he was asked, stepped out in obedience although God stopped him before he went through with it, He, God, would bless him. Astounding. The confirmation of the covenant was the outcome of his obedience.
Genesis 22:16-17
16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, 17 I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies.
7.Accept God’s process
Be it cleansing, repentance, forgiveness, waiting, there is always a process. Tests are not always short-lived and instantly resolved. There is a process and an action required on our part. It is imperative that we submit to whatever process God has put in place for us.
Abraham went through the process of growing in faith. David was in the wilderness fleeing from Saul for many long years before mounting the throne, he submitted to the process.
Patience is required or we run the risk of fleeing our tests and taking refuge in the arms of well-meaning but shortsighted ‘well wishers’ who wish to spare us pain. Let God lead you by the hand, He is a Maker not a destroyer of men.
We do not all travel the same path in life and recognising God’s path for you is essential to submitting to His tests and passing them.
Conclusion : what is the outcome of passing God’s tests?
1.Divine blessing
God confirmed His covenant to Abraham, as seen earlier. Thy Syrophenician woman was also tested when Jesus initially refused to heal her child. She maintained a good attitude and pleaded her case. The outcome was that her child was instantly delivered.
Matthew 15:21-28
28 Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment[c] her daughter was cured…
2.Perseverance and Increased faith
The process of testing builds us up in faith as was the case for our father Abraham. We are made strong and resilient as we trust God in the midst of challenges. James says that when our faith is tested, perseverance is the outcome.
James 1:2–3 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
3.Divine exploits
Men are made mighty in adversity. If you will lean on and into God in your challenges, the outcome will be greater capacity and the ability to accomplish great things. Once again, a fair example of this is David who through the many trials in the wilderness became a great warrior and king and a maker of men.
4.Greater honour from God
For some reason, even though God Himself is the source of all that we are and have, He still blesses us and honours us when we do the right thing. Every time you pass a test, you receive greater honour and approval from God. I will not belabour the point, but read the genesis passage afresh and see how God honoured Abraham for his obedience.
5.More grit, empowerment.; spiritual strength
When you come out of a test successfully, you are emboldened and empowered. The process of praying, standing in faith and walking in obedience builds spiritueal strength in you. Rather than being broken and wasted, when we handle God’s tests the right way, we come out with overcoming strength. You may enjoy the series on spiritual strength I taught some time back. Click here to watch.
