This is Only a Test

I was excited to attend seminary. We had just made the move from Denver to Oklahoma City. I didn’t know for sure what God was going to do in my life, or how long it was going to take. All I knew was that I had arrived and I was at last going to pursue my theological degree. That first day of class of Systematic Theology we were presented with a test! That’s right. Immediately before we read the syllabus, before we did introductions and got settled in the plopped this thick stack of papers that read Systematic Theology Pre-Test on it. Now, at this point in my ministry I’m not exactly new to theology or the Bible. I knew, well at least in my own estimation, a lil’some. So, when I broke the seal of the test and got into it please understand how blindsided I was at how much I didn’t now. There were new words in the test, there were phrases that didn’t make sense. Every once and a while I would get an answer that I knew right. All I could think was, “I don’t know if I belong here. What did I get myself into?” After the test was over the professor proceeded to business as usual, introduced himself, took questions about the course work and reading load, and such. I had a question but it had nothing to do with the class. I wanted to know what the heck was that test?! Now this class was primarily for second year students because it was during the Spring. So, I asked when will we get that test back. The Prof said, “you won’t.” I said, “Whaa?” He said, “That test was evaluation. It is designed to show the school and teachers where you are at the beginning of the class. It was not to hurt your grade, but to show where you need to grow.” Just in case you thought I was talking about class (Make story plain)

1. Change your Perspective

The success or even survival of you test of faith is going to in-part rely on your perspective on the trial. How do you react as soon as you find yourself in a jam? Don’t everybody answer at once. (Preach)James said “count it” or “consider it” so from jump you need to start out the trial with an attitude of joy. And I know that seems hard and it might not even make sense, but consider those who have gone before you and paved the way from slavery and Jim Crow segregation. They endure horrors foreign to most of us in here but they still had joy to sing in the middle of their struggle. I can hear them singing with all meaning “this joy that I have…” If that ain’t enough to get you have some joy in your test let me give you one more. Even Jesus had joy while enduring the cross. For my Bible tells me in Hebrews 12:2 that Jesus the author and finisher of our faith endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. And if Jesus can endure capital punishment as an innocent man than you should be able to smile your way through your sickness and shout your way through any situation, you should be able to sing your way through sorrow, you should be able to celebrate through any circumstance.

If I can enter this thing with joy than I can finish with joy (Preach)

We joy not because of the pain, but because of the purpose.

• Various Trials-including persecution too.

2. Count on Patience

Now God gives us something to expect and look forward too. James is saying, “you’re not only going to survive this but you’ll benefit from it.” God is not allowing or causing you to go through trials to destroy you but to develop you. When athletes train they lift weights if they want to reach maximum potential. Now the pain they is endured is so that they will be all the more stronger. If a person comes into the weight room and picks up the same weight over and over again they will not grow past that place and when it comes time to compete they will not do well. The idea is for you trainer to push you past your limit to grow you. God is doing the same thing.(Preach)

The difference between and mugger and a doctor when the cut you is the intention. Satan comes to steal…God comes to give life.

3. Come out Perfected

Sometimes we are so impatient that we prematurely, on our own accord, rush God’s process for spiritual formation. The problem is that when you rush through the test, you fail it. When you seek your own exit byway of worldly and/or fleshly means you fail it. What does this look like? It looks like treating trauma with substance abuse. It looks like avoiding communication in your relationships by punishing with the silent treatment. I looks like short-cutting diet and discipline and going right to surgery. It looks like stealing to supplement what you think God isn’t providing you with. Don’t rush, but in stead James says, “let patients have its perfect work, so that you will be perfect.”

Some cooks are better than others. Some folk are so advanced int their cooking they don’t need timers, they can look at a dish an know when its done. The rest of y’all…need timers. An example is the pop-up timer used on turkeys during thanksgiving. It is a little thing that tells us when the bird is done.

Lacking in Nothing- this is James way of communicating that you will be a complete person in your faith whereby you now can thrive in God’s kingdom. So, then the trial is not meant to kill you it is meant to heal you. The pain is supposed to make you better.

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