Testing

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything

I long to be mature, complete, and not lacking anything when it comes to my relationship with Christ. In James 1, it says in order to get to that place it is not through worship, reading God's word, or meeting with Christian believers. Although those are great things to be a part of, but at the beginning of that verse it says that trials and tests bring forth this kind of spiritual maturity or Godly character. I used to look at every problem, tragedy, setback or frustration that would come into my life as a thorn in my flesh or a huge hinderance or roadblock when it came to growing in Christ. Rather, it is the opposite, these tests and trials are usually authored by God and are initiated in my life to mature me, grow me, and teach me. Wisdom comes from reading the Word. Intimacy comes through worship and prayer. Spiritual maturity comes through testing. Though some problems in my life are caused by my rebellion or selfish/wrong choices, the majority of my problems are initiated by God to mature me in my spiritual walk. The Bible is full of men and women who went through many tests, some passed with flying colors, some failed miserably. I have found that God keeps on putting me through the same test until I pass it. It is kind of like school. You pass a test in 1st grade to graduate to second grade. Then the second grade test comes to graduate you to third grade. Every time you graduate through a test, sooner or later, another test (harder test) will come to get you to the next level. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck in elementary grades taking tests. I don't want God to keep on holding me back in 3rd grade tests. (there is nothing worse than being in third grade with a beard and underarm hair). I want God to throw at me high school tests, then i want to run for my masters, my doctorate, and so on. You see, every test I pass means I am reaching a place spiritually where my mind, heart, and spirit are becoming truly one with God. When I am in this place, my thought life, my heart desires, and my passions become on a God level that is intense. Lord, help me to get up every day and be faithful, faithful, faithful. Then get up the next day and be faithful, faithful, faithful, then the next day, be faithful, faithful, faithful. Help me to understand that delayed answers, delayed dreams does not mean denial but it means that i am not through the test yet. God thank-you for my tests. I accept them, embrace them, and need them. I consider it pure joy when I go through these tests, because you are working in me something that at the end of the test will cause me to be closer to you.