Why Does God Test Us?

     About two weeks ago my curiosity was peaked with the question of Why Does God Test Us? I studied this subject with the Western Philosophy and way of thinking and came to this conclusion: He tests us to prove to us where we fail so that we can learn from it. Afterall this is the orginal purpose for testing in our educational institutions not just to grade but to find out where we are weak and improve in those areas. I was satisfied with this answer and therefore put it to rest for a week or so.

     However, God used someone else to show me there was something much deeper and less self-oriented in the testing process. This began through the Faith Lessons DVD series where the host looks at the Word of God based on the Culture, Thinking, Geography and History of its original audience and let's be honest most of the World's way of thinking before the 16-1700's.

     Once he put the seed of this truth into my mind the Lord began making it grow and blossom.To understand why God tests us we must understand a few other things first. We can look at Israel as they wandered through the wilderness out of Egypt as a prime example of how God tests His people. What is the first thing we know about testing? It is to gain knowledge. But one could say God is omniscient so there is no need for Him to test us for Him to gain knowledge. That is where we have to stop thinking as children of the European Age of Reason and begin to think like Israel when they were treking across that desert wasteland.

     The second thing that we have to understand is the Law itself and what God wants for us. The message of the Law is that God is the most important being in this universe and other humans are more important than you. Which by the way Christ fulfilled this when he humbled himself and became obedient dying on the cross. (Phillipians 2:7-8)

     The third thing is remembering one of the messages of James in which our Faith is dead without action. These three together begin to interweave a mosaic of what it means when God tests us. First let's look at God knowing us.

     When God tests us he wants to know us. This word "know" in the Hebrew and Jewish way of thinking is an experiential and relational way of knowing someone. This is not referring to simple data collection or a factual knowledge of a person.The word know in the Hebrew is the same word that describes a man and woman having sexual relations...a very intimate experience. To explain it best let me use a personal example- A few months after my son, Colton, began to walk, when we told him to put something in the trash he knew exactly what to do. So when we told him he obeyed and we experienced his obedience and this developed our relationship as well as brought joy to us to see him perform and obey. Now he did have the option not to obey and when he did this it caused us to have to "discipline" him. This is the kind of knowing that God wants from us. Not just a gathering of knowledge like some computer, but a living breathing relationship.

     Secondly, when he tests us he gives us opportunity to live out the law and help others. Going back to the example of my son, when he would throw something away in the trash can that helped the rest of the family out because now we would not have to worry about that piece of trash. (This may seem small but give him a break he was a baby)

     Finally, we get an opportunity to put faith into action which benefits God, others and ourselves by showing Christ to others and in turn, yes, maybe learning a little bit about ourselves and where we may need to improve. So why does God test us? Well, because He wants to and what a great opportunity for us to be able to excite and please our Father in Heaven. To grow closer to Him, not because we failed and learn from it, but because we succeeded and can rejoice with Him.