The word test comes from a certain kind of vessel used in refining metals that is today called a Cupel. An ore containing precious metal is placed in the cupel and heated to a temperature high enough that the impurities burn off and coat the sides of the vessel, leaving the pure gold or silver at the bottom. I think that sometimes when we hear that the Lord is testing us, we think in terms of the kinds of tests we are familiar with in school. But God is not testing us to see if we are good enough or smart enough. God knows that there is gold inside each of us. He does not put us into the furnace of affliction to see if we are strong enough to take the heat. It’s not about testing to see if we are pure enough. The test itself is what purifies us. It is not about passing the test so much as it is about enduring the test. When we are going through a test, our goal should not be to prove our worthiness but to trust in God and that He will only turn up the heat enough to burn away our impurities and imperfections and that He would not put us in the furnace if He did not know that we were capable of handling it. I think if we shift away from questioning how we are going to pass the test and instead focus on enduring the heat and having faith that the gold inside of us will not burn away, then we will be able to have a more positive relationship with the tests that we are called upon to endure.
