I opened my Bible this morning to 1 Peter and there on
the top of the page were some words I wrote years ago. It was these words: “Faith
that has not been tested, cannot be trusted.” I don’t even remember the context
for when I wrote those words down. But it must have made enough of an impact on
me to write them above chapter 1 of 1 Peter. The context for these words is
associated with verses 6 and 7:
In all this you
greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief
in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your
faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may
result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter
1:6-7)
The timing of turning to this part of my Bible and seeing
that statement I wrote down was so perfect. I had been thinking about the
suffering that is in our world and how it relates to our faith. It can be so
easy to be discouraged in our own suffering or by watching the suffering of
others. It can often rock the core of your faith and what you believe in. But
that is what these verses are saying to us—there is no greater way to prove the
genuineness of our faith than to experience suffering and trials. Until then,
can we really know and trust our faith?
So, what do we do? Do we pray for the testing of our
faith? And by praying that, do we get ready for suffering and trials to come
our way? Jesus told us to be prepared for trouble in this world and to not base
our faith on whether things are good in our life. He said in John 16:33, I have told you these things, so that in me
you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have
overcome the world. Suffering and trials are going to be in our lives, but
our faith is in knowing that he has overcome the world. We know that he reigns
in all of what is going on around us. And
the amazing thing is that Christ does not call us to this standard of faith and
suffering without setting an example for us. 1 Peter 2:21 says, to this you were called, because Christ
suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
We don’t have to pray for suffering and trials to come
our way. They are going to be there because it is the world we live in. But the
best way to know if our faith can be trusted is to press through these times of
testing and actually see that God has not left us alone. Saint Augustine said
one of the most profound things on faith: Faith
is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you
believe. Watch what happens the next time you are tested and look for the
reward of your faith. Then you will know that your faith can be trusted.
Amazed by His Love,
Terence
