Testing

 We were recently reading the famous story of Abraham and Isaac.  As you may know, it says that one day God decided to test Abraham.  He told Abraham to take his son, his only son, up on a mountain and there, sacrifice him to God.  Abraham agrees and is about to kill his son when God intervenes and stops him.  Abraham sees a ram in the bushes and sacrifices that instead of his son.  Then God blesses Abraham for his faith and obedience.

A calm day on the islands

Whenever we’ve read this story with islanders, they have latched onto the very first words of the story.  The part about the test.

“Life is a test,” they will say.  “We only have this life, and God is testing us.  If we pass the test, we will go to heaven.  If we fail, we will go to hell.  All of life is a test.”

We have heard this reply from so many different islanders that it is seemingly part of their world view.  And every time we hear it, it rubs us the wrong way.  Why?  What is wrong with their assessment?  Doesn’t it say that God tested Abraham?  We couldn’t put our finger on it, but it just sounded off in some way.  Not exactly wrong, but not exactly right.  But how can you explain what it is wrong, when it says it right there in the story—Abraham was tested?

Why does it seem wrong-headed to think of life as one big test? It all has to do with the test.  What happens if you prepare for the wrong test? like reading Moby Dick to prepare for a Calculus exam; or learning to crotchet for a cooking evaluation?  All your preparation will be wasted for the actual test.  In islanders’ minds, the test of life is assumed to be answering the question, “Have you qualified for paradise?” But this is the wrong question—the wrong test!

Secondly, tests are always linked to the test-giver.  Why are they giving the test?  In an ideal sense, teachers say we give tests to evaluate the student and the teacher— reveal what is lacking  so the student can learn better and the teacher can teach better.  The goal is learning, understanding, wisdom, flourishing.  But in reality, tests and teachers often serve as bouncers—who is allowed in and who isn’t.  In the worst case scenario, the teacher cares nothing of the student, learning or wisdom, only the final score—pass or fail—are they in or are they out? What kind of a test-giver is God?  In the minds of most islanders, he is the bouncer—weighing up your balances, and impersonally deciding whether you are in or out.

But as we think about Abraham, we think differently about the test and the test-giver.  First of all, the test-giver is not impersonal.  He speaks to Abraham personally, just as he has spoken to him many times before.  He never mentions the outcome of the test.  He does not give him promises of rewards or threats for failure.  This is clearly not the bouncer.  This is the teacher who wants to see his student learning, growing, flourishing.  He is both gentle and challenging.  He knows what his student is capable of.  Have you ever thought about that?  God knew what Abraham was capable of before this test.  He knew what the outcome would be. So why do it?  A good test draws out the best in a student and puts it on display, as this drew out the best in Abraham.

And as for the test itself—paradise in never mentioned.  The test is not about his worthiness for paradise.  Actually, if we were to sum up the test in a question it would be, “Do you trust me?”  Could this be the test God has been asking each of us through the ages, again and again?

Tom and our son working on meal prep

“Do you trust me?” is a very different kind of test.  You prepare for it by getting to know the one you will put your trust in.  You prepare for it by putting your trust in them again and again and seeing they are faithful.  But passing this test is not based on how much you’ve studied, or learned, or achieved.  Passing this test happens when we put our life in the hands of the one whom we have trusted.  

As we thought about testing some more, the Word’s favorite way to talk about testing is not in terms of school exams, but in terms of refining—burning away the dross to reveal the purest gold.  That fits with our understanding of the test-giver.  He is not waiting to decide our fate—he knows it already.  Instead, He is lovingly working to refine and enhance the best in us and remove the worst.  Do we trust him?  Will we let him cut away the dross—even when it hurts?  Will we put our life in his hands?

 “Life is a test,” they say.  “We only have this life, and God is testing us.  If we pass the test we will go to heaven.  If we fail we will go to hell.  All of life is a test.”

Is life a test?  Perhaps the answer is yes—but not the way you think my friend.  It is not the bouncer asking, “Do you have what it takes for me to let you in?”  It is a loving father, wanting to draw out the best in us by asking, “Do you trust me?”

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Thank you for your prayers for our daughter.  She has been feeling progressively stronger and in less pain.  She has been able to participate close-to-fully in school activities which are pretty busy with the end of term.  Thank you for praying for our meal with Muki, Mtsa and Mtsa’s family.  We had a wonderful time together.  At the end of the meal we read 1 Cor 13.  Mtsa insisted we read through it line by line and consider the implications of each verse.  His wife, sister, and daughters weren’t overly engaged, but they were listening.  His daughter seemed pleased and surprised when I told her she could keep the paper with the passage on it. Megan had a good catch-up and talk with Ma Imani.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
We are entering the final week of the month of fasting.  Pray for continued opportunities to share the difference between fasting for points and fasting out of love.  Two island friends, Bako and Sahé, both recently had deaths in their families.  Pray that loss would open up possibilities for life.  During this final week there is a special night called the “Night of Power” when many believe fervent devotion to prayers all night can result in receiving the thing you most want.  Pray that they would discover the one they most need instead. Our two older kids travel back the islands at the end of the week— pray for smooth travels and that traveling wouldn’t be too exhausting for them.  We are entering the final week of the month of fasting, but it is not too late to join us in prayer for the islands. If you want to get a special weekly email with ways to pray, let us know.