From test to testimony

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; [4] and patience, experience; and experience, hope: [5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” — Romans 5:3-5

As a young minister, I can distinctly remember praying to God that he would make me a more patient man. My desire was not only to become more patient with others, but also with myself. I felt, at the time, that I was my own worst critic.

In my ignorance, I expected that when my prayer was answered, I would wake up one day and be a man filled with the patience of Job. However, as you might have concluded, that is not the way God answered my prayer. The important thing is that he not only answered, but the way in which he answered my prayer.

Scripture informed me of the process of becoming more patient. Not only is it listed as spiritual fruit, it also required a certain pruning of my character. I discovered that with my prayer for patience I was asking God to give me trials — and he did just that.

During that season, he called my mother (my heart, my chief supporter) home. He allowed me to lose a job, to total my car (two days after the insurance had lapsed) and to break my hand in the accident.

By the way, I broke my hand after I was hit by a driver who ran a red light and fled the scene, by slamming my hand on the steering wheel in anger (that’s a totally different lesson learned about being angry but not sinning).

It was in that season I became acutely aware of how little power I had and how omnipotent my God is. I began to trust him in ways that I had never trusted him before.

I began to place my dreams, my hopes and my life in his hands. I learned to wait on God and, as a result, I can stand on his promises. Clay Evans says it best in the lyrics of his song “I’ve Got a Testimony”: “As I look back over my life / And I think things over, I can truly say that I’ve been blessed / I’ve got a testimony.”

As we enter this season of celebrating the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ, some of you may also find this to be a season of testing. I want to encourage you to trust God in the process, and to let “patience have its perfect work.” In doing so, you also will move from test to testimony.

I pray God’s blessing on you.

This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 11:07 AM with the headline "From test to testimony."