The Reason You’re Tested

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. - James 1:2-3

Valuable things are often tested to prove that they’re genuine. When you go to a bank and give a $100 bill to the teller, she holds it up to the light. Why? Because she’s looking for a watermark of authenticity – testing it to make sure it’s genuine.

One pastor shares that when he visited The Philippines years ago, the government didn’t yet have the technology to add watermarks to the currency. So instead, the bank tellers would hold the money close to the light and then examine the pictures that were printed on them.

This pastor was curious, so he got up the nerve to ask one of the bank tellers how to know that the money is genuine by just looking at it. The teller told him that if the hair of the man pictured on the currency is not combed perfectly, then the dollar is counterfeit.

Things that have value need to be tested – and that includes your faith. When God allows challenges to come your way – whether it’s your health, a struggle with grief, or tough financial times – He’s holding you up to the light to show the world your faith is genuine.

The faith that is not tested is the faith that can’t be trusted. So when you’re being tested, let the light of God shine through you so the world can see His mark on your life!

Prayer Challenge:

Ask God to give you a rock-solid, genuine faith that will withstand any test that comes your way.