THE TEST!

 

It has been 7 years since retiring from teaching. I remember TEST DAYS. Kids hated them, but teachers loved them. It really was a DAY-OFF from teaching. Some kids would really stress about tests and others never worried at all. Some of them should have worried more than they did. The last TEST I remember taking was my 6 part Biblical knowledge test for ordination. Each part was timed and you could not use notes or outside resources. When I had scheduled one of these tests, my  stress level would be through the roof. AND these tests were not easy. I remember taking the first one kind of lightly until I realized this was about specifics, not generalities. Once I found that out, it ELEVATED MY ANXIETY LEVEL 100 fold. 

But, I made it through them with a lot of studying and YES, PRAYER!

Today I was reading 2 Corinthians 13 and all that testing flooded back into my mind:

"Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you. ; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority." (2 Corinthians 13:5-6, NLT)

I was thinking about the part that says, TEST YOURSELVES. And I was thinking what it looks like when we test ourselves. We should be critical of our lives and evaluate how we are doing. We should ask if we are bearing fruit, is Jesus evident in our thoughts, or is he just a sidenote on Sunday mornings? Can we look back on see our growth and change? Do we have trusted peers who can help speak truth in our lives?

We all need to get better. That is the reason for the testing. It is not to be critical or to degrade. YES, we need to TEST OURSELVES, but in order to grow, we need to evaluate and set up a plan to get better. The Lord can help us with that. 

Read Psalm 139 --

"Search me, Oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalm 139:23-24, NLT)

Heavenly Father, I praise you for how you have increased my faith, helped me to grow in my wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. I come to you today seeking your direction. Help me to continue to grow in your likeness. Help me to grow in YOU so that others can see YOU in me! Amen!

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If you haven't repented of your sin, accepted what Jesus did for you on the cross, dying for your sins, or if you have not committed your life to Jesus, TODAY could be that day. give your life to the Lord. 

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:9-10, ESV)

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