For many this week there has been much anxiety, worry, grumbling and maybe even a little cussing over the annual giving of the STAAR tests. STAAR, short for State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, are a series of state-mandated standardized tests used in Texas public schools to assess a student’s achievements and knowledge learned in the grade level. Any school who receives funds from the state of Texas is required to enforce these tests among students to determine if they have met the performance expectations as outlined by the state of Texas.  And that in turn is what brings on most of the anxiety, worry, and grumbling in many homes.  Admittedly, the STAAR test is a cuss word in our home as well.

What does God think about testing? Skimming through the Bible, we would have to say that He is all for it!  God tested Abraham with the near sacrifice of his own son (Genesis 22:1-2). God tested his people with their trust in His provision as they wandered in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4). God tested His people through the leadership of the judges placed over them (Judges 3:1,4). God tested King Hezekiah to search out what was in his heart (2 Chronicles 32:31). Proverbs 17:3 and Jeremiah 17:10 inform us that God tests everyone’s heart.  Jesus tested Philip in the miracle of feeding 5000 people (John 6:5-6) and we are told that we are routinely tested in our obedience to God (2 Corinthians 2:9).  And one of the greatest promises that occurs throughout the Bible is that our trials and struggles are often a test of our faith (Isaiah 48:10; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-9).

God is certainly not anti-testing and, in fact, tests His people regularly. Yes, God loves tests because each one is an opportunity to grow our faith. As Peter says, “it tests the genuineness of your faith” (1 Peter 1:7), or as James says, “it makes us perfect and complete” (James 1:4). You see, we don’t get faith by just talking about it, or only sitting in a Bible study group, or even attending church regularly.  Faith is like a muscle; it develops by being used. The more you use your faith, the more it gets stretched and grows. And testing is the tool that God uses to allow us to use our faith.

Back to the STAAR tests. Are they the perfect tool to measure the attainment of academic achievement? Probably not. There are lots of arguments against them. They are standardized tests and every child learns differently.  They are timed tests and not every child performs best in that situation. Teaching to the test zaps creativity away from the teacher and the joy of learning from the student. They are punitive in nature and not encouraging.  Perhaps the greatest argument is that it turns the purpose of education into testing and that’s not the purpose of education.  The end result is this: the test creates stress.  That is why your household experiences anxiety, worry, grumbling and cussing.

Every test creates stress! And life does not let us choose the tests we take.  Chances are, you are taking a test right now. God is using it to grow your faith and that is causing some stress in your life.  How is God using that test in your life right now to stretch your faith? How will you choose to respond to the stress that is testing your faith?

Ryan

One quick glance at my teenager’s car and you cannot help but notice that he had an unfortunate incident. Blake and his friend were backing out of their parking spaces. Blake went first but before he could clear and get out of the way, his friend backed right into him.  It left a massive dent in the door.  I am not talking about a little ding; I mean a crater that can be seen a mile away!  The impact caved the door in and has rendered him unable to roll the window down. Blake’s car has other scrapes and dents but none near as obvious or limiting as this one. This one will have to be repaired to take care of the obvious as well as return it to full working order.

Our lives are a lot like Blake’s car.  There are a few small dings and some places where the paint is scratched.  Some are hardly noticeable unless you get close enough to see them.  Every one of the dents and scrapes has a story – some more amusing than others and some more painful than the rest. That is how it is with us.  We all have some imperfections – flaws in our character, weaknesses in our personality, and cracks from our past – that most people do not even notice until they start getting close to us.  When they do, we can often share a chuckle or sometimes a tear about the story behind the imperfections.  But every once in a while, there is a dent that others can see a mile away!  Yet, we are usually less talkative about the craters than we are the small dings. Perhaps it is just too painful.  Or maybe we have gotten so used to it we do not even pay it any attention.  Blake has been driving around with the door that way for a while now and thinks nothing about having to open his door at a drive through!

We dropped Blake’s car off at the repair center yesterday. It will take a couple of days worth of hammering, chipping, sanding and painting but the result will be a door that is shiny and new and a window that will roll down in the drive through! There will always be a story behind the unfortunate incident that left a crater in the door but the narrative will end with the result of being made new.

What about us?  Are we willing to do what it takes to get our scrapes and dents – the small dings and the huge craters – made new?   If so, we are going to have to be candid about those places in our lives.  We have to be honest with God, honest with ourselves, and honest with others. It does not matter who’s at fault. The simple truth is that it is our crater and we cannot keep driving through the drive through and opening the door. The apostle James encourages us, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). When we are willing to confess our bumps and bruises, it is like dropping the car off at the repair shop. God begins a process of hammering, chipping, sanding and painting to make things shiny and new.  There will always be a story behind the dings and craters, but the narrative will end with the result of being made new!

Ryan