Scripture: James 1:13 – “No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one.” (NRSVue)
I think one of the most comforting lies that we tell ourselves is “God is testing me.” It helps us to make sense of things when nothing makes sense. Because, if God is testing you, that means whatever bad thing that is happening to you – a death in the family, a life-threatening diagnosis, addiction, running out of money – is happening for a reason. You figure that God is testing you to see if you really have faith, if you are willing to accept terrible things in order for your faith to proven.
There are many places in the Bible that talk about God testing the faith, especially in the Old Testament. But I think too many people leap to these as explanations. One example is from the Book of Job, where God allows Satan to torment the perfectly righteous Job to prove that his faith is because of his love of God, not just because of his wealth, health, and family. But Job is not a simple tale of piety. Without fully rejecting God, Job demands an explanation, and never fully gets one. The story is ultimately not about the rather fairytale like wager between God and Satan. The real point is how we get through difficult times without an explanation.
But people need the comfort of surety and saying that God is testing us allows for that surety. But sometimes, I think the need for God to be behind our suffering is itself a kind of temptation. The Letter to James is full of all kinds of good advice, some of which is about temptation. It says that God tempts no one, but rather we are tempted by our own evil desires. This makes sense when we want to do destructive things like overindulge in food or alcohol or spend money on gambling or things we do not need. But I think it is true for our inner temptations as well. In our lack of faith, we try to create a God who tests us because we cannot fully understand the God who loves us.
James says, “the testing of your faith produces endurance,” but that does not mean that the testing comes from God. Rather we have a stronger faith when we find God on the other side of our suffering. So, in times of trouble, remember that God does not cause suffering, but God walks with us through our suffering. We may never comprehend God’s power, but we can feel God’s love, and I hope you can feel that love no matter who you are or what you are going through.
Prayer: Lord, let me know your love. Let me know your love. Amen.
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