Imagine riding a tour bus, bound for the Road to Hana on the island of Maui with ten strangers, when the screeching, pulsing tone of the emergency alert system begins sounding from cell phones. We’re all familiar with the tone used to deliver important emergency information such as weather and AMBER alerts, but visualize the scenario of a bus driver calmly pulling to the side of the road as panicked faces began to look up after reading the message on their screens. On Saturday, January 13, 2018, the following message appeared on our phones: Emergency Alert: BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A TEST.

Now, since I am still on this earth and typing this post, my world didn’t end in Hawaiian paradise in 2018; however, I was reminded of just how important the words “this is Just a Test” can be, especially when contemplating how quickly my Odometer Reading was reaching its limit on that beautiful winter day. Perhaps confidence in my final destination, as reflected in my humor on that bus, was not felt by all the passengers aboard, but somehow, as a group, we managed to come to the realization that we weren’t about to die that day and continued our fascinating tour of Maui. Kudos to our driver and guide who masterfully handled that crazy scenario!

We are continuously being tested as we engage in this amazing thing called life—do we remember how to treat an out-of-order traffic light? Or can I recall the benefits of a high-fiber diet? Or is this bath water too hot? Or one that my soil scientist friend, Beth Madison, shares in her book Good Ground—is this soil up to performing its task, “be it the task of crop production, building or road construction, septic tank capability, wildlife habitat, temporary water storage from offsite drainage, etc.”? Beth shares in the chapter entitled “Repeat, This is Just a Test” that in the same manner that proper soil testing is needed to determine the appropriateness of soil composition for specific purposes, followers of Christ should be living out 1 Thessalonians 5:21 and “testing everything” so that we can “hold fast to what is good.”

Beth admits to something we all struggle with, “I want everything in my life to be both easily available and helpful to me without the work, time, and resources required for the testing, evaluation, and incorporation of potentially life-changing principles into my life…Plainly said, I want the harvest without the hard work. Yet I know, both as a Christian and as a farm girl, that harvest doesn’t occur without hard work, and lots of it.” What Beth challenges us to do is to “correctly assess [test] every part of [our lives]—is it true in lining up with what Scripture says is true?” Just as soil must be tested for its intended purpose, our souls must be assessed for any deficiencies that may exist so that we can add the proper nutrients—such as hope, joy, faith, and courage—to our souls in order to faithfully fulfill our God-given purpose on this earth. It may be Just a Test to use Scripture as our guide, but it’s a test I prefer to ace rather than fail, and it’s an assessment that has been proven both reliable and dependable for thousands of years!

Once again, Beth admits to the human experience that “Even my best attempts at adding distractions, possessions, busyness, or seemingly important responsibilities for seemingly important people, will not make up for the deficiency of joy and contentment which are hallmarks of a John 15 life. Yet, if I am willing to let my life principles, and thus my daily life-choices, be tested, both by Scripture and by accountability to those who hold hard to what is true, then there is the far better chance of a harvest of Christ-likeness in my life and others.” Is that not what we should all aspire to be–so grounded in Scripture and our walk with the Lord that any testing will demonstrate how nutrient-dense our souls can be when we are connected to the source of all life?

Consider reflecting on this inquiry—how will the choices we make in an attempt to engage in Everyday Faithfulness—stand up to assessment? If it’s Just a Test to see how well we are doing, we shouldn’t be fearful to examine our hearts and to accept loving instruction, if we truly desire to live the flourishing life that is promised to us in John 10:10. For it takes Good Ground to nourish our souls so that we can live out our calling to love God and love others well.

Has there been a time in your life when a test, perhaps unwelcomed at first, proved to be exactly what you needed for God to show you how important it is for us to use Scripture to nourish and guide us? Please consider sharing in the comments below.

Reference:

Madison, B. (2022). Good ground. Northeastern Baptist Press.