THE TESTS WE MUST PASS

The day I got a call from the first person who began to partner with us in ministry, I knew it came because I had passed a test. A day earlier, I had no personal cash on me and I needed to make a call for a friend. I could only afford to send a text. 

Interestingly, there was some money in the ministry office. My heart went to it but I remembered that it was church offering. I could not take a hundred naira to buy airtime. My friend was a bit angry because I could not make that call. 

Words like, “Are you saying you do not have a hundred naira to make a call? Why are you being over spiritual? You can take from the money you have in the office to use”. I could not. Years later, when it dawned on me that it was a test, I asked myself why it never occurred to my friend who needed my help to send me the hundred naira airtime to make the call. 

Beloved, behind every test, is a divine promotion. Genesis 22 began with these words: 

After all this, God tested Abraham.  Genesis 22:1 MSG 

God tests our hearts before he commits greater things into our hands. Jesus told us some of the areas of concentration of divine test: 

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?  Luke 16:10-12 NLT

Your test will cover Little Things. If you pass, you can then be allowed to manage greater things. If you are dishonest with little things, you will be dishonest with greater responsibilities. 

Your test will cover Worldly Wealth. If your heart is tied to material things that it becomes hard for you to trust God, you can not be trusted with kingdom resources. Why? You already have an idol that you are worshipping. Whatever God cannot ask for is an idol. 

Your test will cover faithfulness with other people’s things. If you treat other people’s properties anyhow without a sense of faithfulness, no one will commit your own to your care. 

If you are a minister of the gospel, church money is not your money. Church property is not your own. Draw a line between the two. Even if they call it “Pastor Temi’s church” for the purpose of description, do not let it get into your head. The church belongs to Christ. 

Do not abuse properties. Do not abuse the men, women, gold, girls and guys of Zion. Treat divine things with reverence.  Even if the offering is a hundred naira, it is the Lord’s offering. Do not treat it anyhow. It is your test. 

When the church is five members, do not treat them anyhow. Lead them with faithfulness. Disciple them gracefully. It is your test. 

What rewards are you losing because of the tests you are failing? 

May the Lord help us all.