A Time of Testing

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

1 Peter 1:6 (NIV)

With tears in his eyes, a young man appeared at the church office and confided in his pastor that things had not turned out as he had hoped. He began to explain his situation. Before his conversion, everything had gone well for him. He had a stable job, the means to afford whatever he desired, and he traveled often; his family had no cause for complaint. Yet, a year after his conversion—just when he expected everything to go perfectly because he had placed his trust in God—exactly the opposite happened.

Isn't this the kind of situation that leads one to question one's faith or God's promises? Drawing on his own experience, the pastor did not seek to fuel the young man's distress. Instead, he smiled and said in a reassuring tone: "You came to God with all your material baggage, hoping He would add even more to what you already possessed so that you could say He had blessed you. That is not how God works. He will take away what you have and leave you in need for a time, in order to test your motives and your faith; only then will He bless you Himself." The young man did not seem prepared for such an answer.

We all reach a stage where we ask questions and seek a positive answer from someone. We want neither hope nor promises; we want facts. Peter reminds Christians living in exile and scattered abroad that their situation is temporary. If God allows them to suffer for a time, it is to detach them from this world, for a place is reserved for them. Your situation may differ from that of the early Christians, but God's plan does not change. He will lead us all through trials to transform us and bring us to rely on Him—and on Him alone. You are likely going through a time of testing; do not let yourself be overwhelmed, for God will subject you only to a trial that your faith can bear.

May the grace and peace of God be with you.