How did you do on the test?
It has been a week since the opening of the Paris Olympics, and the famous or infamous (depending on your perspective) opening ceremony. I have intentionally held back any comment, instead wanting to watch and listen and learn, both from the pagan world and those who say they are disciples of Jesus. As I watched, something occurred to me.
If you are a disciple of Christ, you have just taken a test. I wonder, how did you do?
The New Testament uses two words for test, with very different meanings. While it is not true that they always hold to the standard meanings, it is true that this is by far the norm. One of the words, peirazo, usually means to test as in tempt. Most of the time this word is used, it is testing with a negative connotation. As one of my professors used to say, “Here’s a test—I know you will flunk it.” The other, dokimazo, means to test in such a way as to purify, teach and encourage. As my professor would say, “Here’s a test, let it strengthen you!”
In life, we encounter many trials. Some (both human and spiritual) want us to fail. Others want us to succeed and grow. So, with regard to the Olympic opening ceremony, which did you do?
Here’s a scoring key. If you got angry and lashed out at the “woke” crazies, you didn’t do well. If you saw this as just another indication that the world is going left and you moaned and groaned about that with others who agree with you, you didn’t do well. If you focused on how offended you and others are and how it isn’t fair that Christians are treated this way, you didn’t do well. And if you rose above it, citing the artistic intent and didn’t see it as an attack on Christians, you didn’t do well.
On the other hand, if you saw this as another way the world attacks our Lord and those who follow Him, and took it in stride, you did well. If you saw this as an opportunity to reach out to people who need the Lord, you did well. If you encouraged Christians to stop arguing with people who obviously don’t respect them and instead find ways to love those people, you did well.
In short, if you handled this as though you are part of the world, you did not do well. If you handled this as Jesus taught us, you did well!
One of the good things about test taking for Jesus’ disciples is, we always have the chance to improve. Our test scores do not condemn us, and our lack of success on the test doesn’t mean we miss a chance to earn something in God’s eyes. Instead, our perspective, our words and our actions show us whether we are living in obedience to the King, or with the world’s values and need to repent!
I don’t believe God caused this incident to test us. Instead, I believe He allowed it, and allowed us to respond from our hearts. If our hearts are combative, angry, even hateful, we can see it and ask Him to change us. But if our hearts are loving and focused on how Jesus sees those who did this, then maybe we’ll hear Him tell us “well done”!
Know Jesus and Be Faithful!
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