I Hate Tests

Deuteronomy 8:2  2And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. My wife and I had this conversation today about people we knew where life was a series of tests. I mean serious mishaps in either personal health, or the loss of loved ones. There are some we know who never seem to catch a break, there is always drama, crisis, or misfortune in their lives.  Now, many of us Pharisees would simply say, "well, it is the result of their decisions, they were out of God's will, and this is the ramification." This was not so in the lives of some we know. Those we know who continually have bad things happen to them are often godly, Christ honoring, full time ministry type people. So my wife and I were saying, 'what's up with that?' There isn't some pat answer for this, sometimes the mystery of this answer will not be known until we are with Jesus, but sometimes God does test our hearts to help us see what really is inside of us. God did that with Israel, He tested them repeatedly to show them how far away from Him they had drifted.  Even when the Israelites had good leaders in the form of Moses and Joshua, their hearts were far from honoring God by keeping His commandments. So where does that fit into our theology today?  Do we really think God tests us? Do we really think He would put us to a test to see how much of what we say we believe, we really believe?  Let's be honest. In my life, and the lives of others like me who have faith in God, we often say things we don't do, and we don't believe in. Prayer is one of those things we all say we believe in, but have a harder time practicing. How about forgiveness?  Forgiveness is the cornerstone of the gospel, yet Christians are some of the most unforgiving people I know. How about being gentle, kind-hearted and compassionate?  Again, Christians are some of the meanest, complaint oriented people I know.  You might say really?  Yes really!  After forthy years in ministry, that is my conclusion, mean, unforgiving, selfish/self serving, unrepentive, non-committed complainers, who think the rest of the body of Christ exists to serve them and their vision.  Wow, that was a mouth full. You might read this and conclude, 'he is sure bitter.'  Quite the contrary, I am honest and call it like I have experienced it.  The test for me is, do I allow all of this Christian immaturity to ruin my relationship with Christ, and the answer is no.  I refuse to allow those who wish to spend their earthly life complaining about everything to bring me down to that level. I think it's time however to be honest with the reality of this, and to say to people who demonstrate this kind of behavior to grow up, and remind them they are failing the test. God shows us what is in our hearts by the test of time, circumstance and attitude. How will we react when all is lost, when we are rejected, when we are accused for a righteous stand and misunderstood.  How about when we have to endure fellow Christian laborers who are always following some pipe dream, and the invention of visions that are not solidly founded upon God's Word?  Or prophets who are reinventing the God of the Bible. (this one drives me nuts) How do we react?  Is it a test? Well, we do know that life will invoke a response, and it is in our response that will define who we are serving. Keeping it honest and truthful...K Dr John MacArthur has a short video clip on how the heart is changed once Christ is confessed as Lord. This might answer why so many Christians don't demonstrate the fruit of a Christ changed life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZX_fA885ow