Why Does God Allow Tests in Our Lives?

In the process of believing in and following God, all of us will face trials, such as family misfortunes, difficulties in our jobs, property losses, the torment of illness and so on. Many people don’t understand: God loves man, so why does God test us? By reading this article, you’ll understand why God tests us and His will behind trials.

Why Does God Test Us?

God says, “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, Jehovah is my God” (Zechariah 13:9). “Behold, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10).

As we can see from God’s words, there is God’s will in His allowing trials and refinement to befall us. It’s entirely to cleanse the things inside us which are incompatible with God, so that our faith in God will become purer, and so that we can truly obey and love God and become those who gain God’s approval and blessings.

Since we humans have been corrupted by Satan, we have many corrupt dispositions and God-resisting satanic nature. Without trials, we can’t recognize our corrupt dispositions and the impurities in our belief. Therefore, God permits trials and refinement to befall us to expose the rebelliousness hidden deep within our hearts, so that we can gain some understanding of our deficiencies and the truth about our corruption of resisting God. During this period, through our praying to God and seeking the truth, God will work the truth into us so that it replaces the things which don’t conform to God’s will. This way, our corruption and impurities will gradually be cleansed.

For example, after putting faith in the Lord, we have enjoyed a lot of His grace and blessings, and so we are willing to repay His love by forsaking, expending and working hard for Him. When we suffer a bit and pay some prices, we consider ourselves to be those who love God most, who are completely considerate of His will, and who can definitely gain His approval. However, when trials of illness befall us and endanger our lives, we develop misunderstandings and complaints about God, thinking, “I’ve been expending for God, so how could I have gotten such a serious illness? I love God, so why does God not protect or cure me?” At that time, we no longer have faith in God and are not willing to expend for Him, and some even deny and betray Him. This exposes the truth of our corruption and our erroneous perspectives on faith. We can see clearly that we have no obedience to God, and that we don’t abandon things, expend, and work hard to love and satisfy God, but instead we do it all to gain blessings and benefits for ourselves—we want to use our expenditure to get God’s grace and blessings and a share in the bliss of the heavenly kingdom in return, which is essentially attempting to transact with God. Then we realize how selfish and despicable we are!

When we have true knowledge of our corruption and rebelliousness, we feel remorseful, guilty and indebted to God, then pray to God and wish to repent, practice the truth and live by God’s words. This way, our views on belief and corrupt dispositions can undergo some change. After such experience, we can understand that although trials and refinement cause us some fleshly suffering, they are very beneficial for our lives and are God’s love and salvation for us. Just as God’s words say, “The greater God’s refinement, the more people’s hearts are able to love God. The torment in their hearts is of benefit to their lives, they are more able to be at peace before God, their relationship with God is closer, and they are better able to see God’s supreme love and His supreme salvation. Peter experienced refinement hundreds of times, and Job underwent several trials. If you wish to be made perfect by God, you too must undergo refinement hundreds of times; only if you go through this process and rely upon this step will you be able to satisfy God’s will and be made perfect by God. Refinement is the best means by which God makes people perfect; only refinement and bitter trials can bring out the true love for God in people’s hearts.”

How Christians Should Deal With Trials

We now know God’s will behind trials. Then how should we undergo trials? God’s words say, “When you face suffering, you must be able to lay aside concern for the flesh and to not make complaints against God. When God hides Himself from you, you must be able to have the faith to follow Him, to maintain your previous love without allowing it to falter or dissipate. No matter what God does, you must submit to His design and be prepared to curse your own flesh rather than make complaints against Him. When you are faced with trials, you must satisfy God, though you may weep bitterly or feel reluctant to part with some beloved object. Only this is true love and faith. No matter what your actual stature is, you must first possess both the will to suffer hardship and true faith, and you must also have the will to forsake the flesh. You should be willing to endure personal hardships and suffer losses to your personal interests in order to satisfy God’s will. You must also be capable of feeling regret about yourself in your heart: In the past, you were unable to satisfy God, and now, you can regret yourself. You must not be lacking in any of these regards—it is through these things that God will perfect you. If you cannot meet these criteria, then you cannot be perfected.”

God’s words give us a path of practice. While experiencing trials and refinement, if we are able to accept and submit to God’s work, and seek God’s will and requirements of us, if we can forsake the flesh and put the truth into practice, preferring to suffer in the flesh to stand witness for God, and if we can experience these environments with love for God and a desire to satisfy Him, then we’ll be able to understand more truths through these trials and gain God’s approval and blessings.

Take Job for example. When he underwent the trials of his possessions being stripped away, his children being destroyed, and he himself developing boils all over his body, although he was in agony, he never sinned with his words, but instead accepted everything from God within his heart. He was also able to pray to seek God’s will, and ultimately said, “Jehovah gave, and Jehovah has taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah” (Job 1:21), and “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10). He stood witness for God with those words and obtained God’s praise and blessings. Job not only received material blessings from God, but more importantly, God appeared to Job in a storm, Job heard God personally speak to him and he gained a genuine understanding of God. What great fortune he had! There was also Abraham. When he was 100 years old, God gave him a son, Isaac. When Isaac had grown up, God asked Abraham to offer up this only son as a sacrifice to God. Although Abraham felt weak and pained at that time, he knew that since this son was bestowed to him by God, he should return him to God unconditionally. When he was willing to offer up his son, he earned God’s praise. In the end, God not only declined to take Isaac but also blessed Abraham with offspring as abundant as the stars of heaven or the grains of sand on the seashore.

From this we can see that, whatever trials come to us, we shouldn’t use reasoning with God or lay conditions on Him, but should pray to seek God’s will with an obedient heart. This is the reason we, as created beings, should possess when God tests us. Only in this way can we stand witness in trials and win God’s approval and blessings.

Editor’s Note: We trust that, by reading this article, you will now understand why God tests us. If this article has been helpful to you, please share it with others so that they too may have a path of practice in trials. If you have any further confusion or questions, please feel free to contact us using the online chat buttons at the bottom. We are online 24 hours a day ready to answer your questions.