Testing, testing…

Ever noticed how, as soon as you take a step of faith, that you are tested on it?

John, my adorable hubby, works in the kind of industry where you have to build certain pieces of equipment, and then install them, and then go and visit the customer some time later to go over “The snag list” – at least, that what I think he calls it! It’s a list of things that have gone wrong with the equipment, for a possible variety of reasons, which can only be discovered once the equipment is tried and tested out in the environment it was designed for.

And there’s the tricky bit.

You see, sometimes my faith is OK, but only in the rarefied fantasy atmosphere of my own mind. I take comfort from believing how everything is going to fall neatly into place, and then get surprised when the realities of everyday life and Monday mornings change things around somewhat.

For example, if my faith has to be in the realm of finances, then something crops up, like an unexpected expense

If I’m believing God to heal someone, then either I get sick, or someone else close to me does

If I’m believing God to bring about an increase in numbers, I end up preaching to 7 people (where there should have been around 35!)

I call it my Spiritual Snag List.

God is at work, checking out what my responses to these things are. Will I get angry, despondent, and doubtful? Or will I use such times to trust Him more, and highlight areas I need to keep working in?

I’m also coming to realise that it’s no good John having a snag list for a piece of computer equipment that he hasn’t built, or belongs to someone else – or even the same piece of equipment, but which is now located in another country. He has to work with the list that belongs to THIS piece of equipment. Likewise, it does neither me nor anyone else any good to compare myself to how they are coping with problems, good or bad. God is working things out for them where they are, and I must focus on me, not on them.

Pat’s Thought for the Day:

In battles throughout history, soldiers bravely raised their flag of allegiance– called “The Colours” – on the battlefield, to distinguish which side was which. It did, however, make the holders of the Colours a very tempting target. But the sight of the Colour raised the spirit and morale of all around them. What kind of “Colours” will you be showing this week? Doubt and Uncertainty, or Faith and Hope? And which one can you expect to be tested on?