Tag: Personal Growth

Tetelestai Recovery

From Knowledge to Mastery: The Importance of Tests

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Teacher writing mathematical equations on a chalkboard as students take notes

Sometimes, our tests are random and spring up like a pop quiz. Other times, an ominous test looms far in the future, and we struggle to avoid it. However, considering our passage from James, we need not avoid tests. They all have a purpose; even the ones we fail. If the test teaches us to be patient, with ourselves, with God, or with another human being, we have passed. With God, we are always in a win-win situation.

Our tests are to develop patience. The work of patience is to develop perfection. There is no fast track from one to the other. Each test takes time. That’s where patience does its work.

The bridge from knowledge to skill is practice.

The bridge from skill to mastery is time.

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Tetelestai Recovery

It’s Not a Red Flag: Understanding Spiritual Tests

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My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4

****This is a Test. This is Only a Test.****

The times when we feel spiritually depleted or disinterested are not red flags for us to fret over. They are simply tests. The temporary times when we lack inspiration or get caught up in life’s drama have no bearing on our position in Christ or our commitment to His work.

We have come to understand that the testing of our faith can never happen during good times when inspiration flows freely, we are highly motivated, and praise songs play on a loop in our heads. Times of high spiritual energy and passion are thrilling, but they can’t do the work of generating patience. Only the testing of our faith can do that.

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A Date With Destiny

Starry Night

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And now look at you; you look like the stars in the night skies. And your God did it! Deuteronomy 10:22

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You see the goodness of God as you gaze into the night sky. When surrounded by the wonders of the universe, you stand in awe of the Maker’s design.

You love to examine the night sky. You are are captivated by the phases of the moon and the marching constellations as they glide across the atmosphere.

It is in this upward glance that you gain perspective. When you look at the sky, the purpose for your earthbound existence become clear. 

It excites you to realize that you have been offered a divine destiny by the Creator of the Universe.

As you look at the vast expanse, you are in awe that God calls each star by name. This offers you great comfort, for it reveals how intimately and personally the Creator values what He has made.

It is in this realization that you find security. Your Maker designed you for a specific purpose, and like the stars, you light up when He calls your name.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Testing Time

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When caught up in a moment of testing, we must resist letting our feelings and circumstances serve as a litmus test of our faith. It is not healthy, nor is it accurate.

Tests are for the express purpose of developing patience. Whether the tests come from internal or external forces, they have a purpose. Some of the tests we face are due to our own weaknesses and might easily become our demise, but even then, God always has a better plan. Any test that activates patience is beneficial. Guilt and blame serve no purpose.

Patience tells us that tests are only temporary. Patience tells us that God is doing a good work in us, and He will complete it. Patience tells us not to judge our walk by one random stumble. Patience keeps us steady as we wait for the storm to pass.

It is patience that we lack when we throw up our hands and give up. It is patience that we lack when we question our progress. It is patience that will get us to the finish line. It is patience that will help us be gentle with ourselves.

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