In the Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren states that we allhavea  life metaphor that motivates our thinking and out decisions. For instance; if you think life is a party, then you will be motivated by having fun, if you think life is a race you will value speed, if you think life is a marathon you will value endurance, and so on.

So, he then goes on to say that the Bible gives tree basic metaphors for life: a test, a trust, and a temporary assignment. Well, I couldn’t get past the first one; Life is a test. There are many stories in the Bible of people being tested; Adam and Eve in the Garden, Abraham as he was instructed to sacrifice Isaac, and Job to name a few. Remembering this could change the way we respond to certain situations.

As I thought about this, two things came to mind in regards to testing; preparation and passing. When we face testing in school we spend time preparing for that test, and we do this with hopes of passing. So, what does this mean in regards to life being a test. How do we prepare for that test, and how do we know we have passed. Well, preparation takes on many forms; study of the Bible, prayer, worship, serving, and many more. As for passing, I think that the first part of that is salvation, from there it is about doing Kingdom work. We will know we have passed when we stand before God and he says, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

So, I then started to think of the testing I face in life. Testing serves two purposes, to prepare us for the next step and to prove we are ready. I compare this to when I was in nursing school. I took many tests when I was going through nursing school. These tests worked to prepare me for the next step. Then when I graduated I was prepared to start my career as a nurse, but I still had to take state boards to prove that I was ready. Such is the case with the testing that we go through with God. Even Jesus was tested before he started his ministry. He spent 40 days in the dessert being tempted by the devil. Only after completing and passing that test did he start his ministry.

This made me think….All this time I thought I have been waiting on God, but perhaps God is waiting on me. Waiting on me to pass the test, to Prove that am ready for the next step. So, when you think you are waiting on God, could it be that he is actually waiting on you? Waiting on you to pass the test, to prove yourself ready.

Remember these things:

• Life is a test! - Am I  preparing? Will I pass?
• I am being tested! - God is watching, even the little things.
• Is this testing preparing me for the next step?
• Is this test proving me ready for the next step?
• Am I ready for the next step?

Remember, God is watching and everything we encounter could be a test, are you passing. Do you need to prepare better so that you might pass the next test?