Faith, Trials, and Pain
3 Tests You Will Go Through Before Your Breakthrough
These tests aren’t without reason or purpose, they reveal what's in your heart
1. The Test of Sacrifice
After waiting years to have his son, God tested Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering on a mountain. I would have rebelled and kicked. I would have said no way, but Abraham understood he served a God who gives and takes. He was ready to sacrifice his only son. Because of his obedience, he passed the test, and his descendants became as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.
Sometimes God wants to know where we stand with Him. He wants to know if we can obey and trust Him.
I was tested to sacrifice my job to do what I really came here to do. I always knew I was supposed to be writing, but my job was taking all of my time, so I kept putting it off. I resisted sacrificing my job, so I got fired. I started driving for Lyft but then I totaled my car in an accident. I lost a six-year-long relationship that was holding me back from following my purpose. It was one loss after the other, and I nearly gave up on believing in anything. It was hard. If God cared about me, why would He watch me go through so much pain and suffering? It was the pain I went through that made me sit down to write about my experiences and I haven’t stopped writing since.
A spiritual test is when difficult things happen that make you choose whether to keep believing in God or turn your face away from Him. It’s hard to keep your eyes fixed on Him when all you feel inside your heart is pain. If God is in my heart, then why is my heart breaking? If it hurts, then God must have abandoned me.
The pain has a purpose. God knows that pain builds our faith. Pain builds us up and makes us stronger. All the things I lost were physical things, some of which weren’t serving me. Maybe you had to leave a relationship that was hindering your growth or a job so you could step out and do what you’re called to do. Leaving your job to pursue your passion is a big sacrifice because you’re leaving a steady paycheck and a sense of security. It’s hard when you’re sacrificing comfort for uncertainty.
The test of sacrifice is where God wants you to give up something you really care about, something that meant a whole lot to you to see what or who you serve.
Do you serve man or God? What or who has your heart? Have you given your heart to your career? Is your job making you too busy to spend time with God? Do you really understand the universe you are a part of? Do you read the verses in the bible? Are the verses in the music empowering or disempowering you? Do you converse with God regularly? Do you have faith, or are your fears appearing a little too real? Are you only worried about the future? Is everything you think of filled with fear, anxiety, and worry about the future? How does turning your face away from God adversely affect your heart and mind? Could it be time to reverse?
Your faith and obedience may be tested when you have a higher calling. You may be asked to sacrifice the things you've idolized. God tests you to see if He comes first and if you can have faith and trust. He wants to know what’s in your heart.
I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve — Jeremiah 17:10.
2. The Test of Patience
This is the hardest test, especially in these times where everything comes at the snap of a finger. In a world of instant gratification, we must learn to be patient and wait our turn, but I hate waiting. Patience is a virtue I lack. I want things to happen on my time and it doesn’t work like that on God’s time.
Most of the tests the universe sends my way have to do with waiting for the things I desperately want. God wants to build my patience by making me slow down. When I sacrificed my toxic relationship, I prayed for a better relationship. I had waited long enough, and I didn't want to wait any longer. But when you're impatient, the things and the relationships you desperately want seem to slip through your fingers and you just can't understand why. Want something desperately and you worship that thing.
I was tested to have patience and wait for the right time. I needed to pass the test and get the lesson before I can truly move on. God had me sitting and waiting for a relationship while others laughed and moved on past me. Waiting is torture and I've failed the test of patience many times, but the good news is that I can always retake it. When you fail a test, you repeat it until you get it.
It’s clear to me now that I’m being made to wait so I can build a relationship with myself first before attempting to build a relationship with someone else. How can anyone see me if I don't see myself?
God does not test you to hurt or punish you for being bad. He tests you so you can see His power. He tests you so you can see your power. He tests you so you can share the testimony of the things you've lived through. That doesn't make “waiting” any pleasant but there’s comfort in knowing that good and special things come to those who wait patiently.
Don’t let impatience make you walk away from the door when it could open at any time. Waiting is easier when you learn to be still and become aware of how the universe works. It's easier when you learn to just be without needing to do all the time. Waiting is easier when you can slow down your raging thought processes, your own strong will, and your painful emotions.
If you’re going through an awakening or you feel called towards a higher purpose, no matter what form it takes, rest assured that you will be tested on your ability to sacrifice certain things and wait patiently on divine timing.
3. The Test of Faith
If you've been on a spiritual path, then you're familiar with how things fall apart. The real test is learning to have faith when you're buried under the things that have fallen apart and fear won't let you out. Can you have faith that God is coming to save you when you can’t even hear His voice under there? Do you have faith that God loves you and will never abandon you?
Faith can be hard to keep when things are falling apart and breaking down all around you. It’s hard believing in things you can’t see. Faith is the spiritual pathway to a relationship with God. When things fall apart, our faith is tested. When faith is tested, our relationship with God is tested. Then our life is tested. The test of faith isn’t without reason or purpose. It happens so we can remember that we are dealing with the same God who saved Isaac from His overly obedient father. He let no harm come to him.
God wants to see how tightly we hold on to Him and as long as we hold on, He doesn't let go. He tests you so you can get a clearer understanding of your own level of faith. Only when I’m suffering do I remember to pray. Only when there’s no one to talk to do I go to talk to God. We are tested so we see how far we’ve drifted.
When pain enters your heart, you are being pruned like a plant to ensure deeper roots. God searches your heart to find the weaker branches. He searches for those that are broken without repair. He finds the dead and the dying ones and He cuts them mercilessly. Pruning takes trust and faith that what’s lost will be replaced with something more fruitful.
These tests open our eyes to areas of our lives that can be improved. Even when you’re not very religious, you can still have a deeper, more personal relationship with a higher power. You can still converse with God or the universe when things are falling back together. You can stay in touch even when the fruits have come in and the plant is looking more beautiful than ever.
