Is life worth living?
Yes, with the best of us,
Our heights, our depths,
Life is our test!
(Corinne Roosevelt Robinson)
Not many days go by when we do not give some kind of exam, big or small. Sometimes, the tests are really quite big. And then, perhaps two or three times throughout our lives, we find ourselves facing the greatest trials of all, when our characters are tested in the hottest fire they will ever experience. We may fear life’s trials and resist them, but wouldn’t it be better to welcome the feedback they provide?
An interesting aspect of our lives is that we cannot always tell which trials are the greatest. Many of the most important tests of our character don’t seem like a big deal at the time. It may take us years to see how the way we made a certain choice (or failed to make it) resulted in passing or failing an important test. The school of life is no ordinary school: we often do not know which are minor quizzes and which are major tests. . . See you.
Can I give you a little friendly advice? Pay great attention to small tests. You will perform better in bigger tasks later, if till then you are doing well in small tasks. Don’t save your willpower for special occasions when you think everything is on the line; Spend it freely on daily choices which, in their cumulative effect, will either make or break your character. For most of us, the first test of the day comes when the alarm clock goes off. Pass that test, and you’ll be able to handle the rest of the day’s decisions well, whatever they may be. Fail at this, and you’ll find that your big choices are more difficult than they need to be. Therefore, take small tests seriously.
Of course, tests show whether we are strong or weak. One good thing about them is that it is during trials that we can become stronger. But we must be careful what kind of power we aspire to. More than the power to get our way, the power to serve should be our goal. This is the real test.
“What we can do for another is the test of strength; what we can suffer for is the test of love” (BF Westcott).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
