How to Grow Through Testing Times - I Cor. 10:13
Illustrations:
DISAPPOINTMENT is a major temptation for all of us.
Alexander the Great conquered Persia, but broke down and wept because his troops were too exhausted to push on to India. Hugo Grotius, the father of modern international law, said at the last, "I have accomplished nothing worthwhile in my life." John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the U.S.--not a Lincoln, perhaps, but a decent leader--wrote in his diary: "My life has been spent in vain and idle aspirations, and in ceaseless rejected prayers that something would be the result of my existence beneficial to my species." Robert Louis Stevenson wrote words that continue to delight and enrich our lives, and yet what did he write for his epitaph? "Here lies one who meant well, who tried a little, and failed much." Cecil Rhodes opened up Africa and established an empire, but what were his dying words? "So little done, so much to do."
Donald McCullough, "The Pitfalls of Positive Thinking", Christian Times, September 6, 1985.
Illustration: It was a case of now-you-win-it, now-you-don’t. That’s what people remember about 1972’s gold medal game -- how the USA celebrated victory only to watch in horror as the Soviets won the second time around. The Soviets had control of the game from the opening tip until the furious final seconds. They led 26-21 at half time and 38-28 with 10 minutes to play. Then the USA began to chip away. With less than 40 seconds left, Jim Forbes made a 20-foot jump shot to cut the deficit to 49-48. Here’s what happened in the chaotic final 10 seconds -- or to be precise, 13 seconds, since those last three were played twice: 10 seconds to go -- Tom McMillen blocks a jumper by soon-to-be- hero Aleksandr Belov. The ball bounces back to Belov, who quickly tries to pass it back to mid-court. 07 -- Doug Collins intercepts the pass and dashes for the other basket with Zurab Sakandelidze in pursuit. 03 -- Sakandelidze tackles Collins rather than give him the winning lay up, ramming Collins into the basket support. Collins gets up woozily, walks to the free-throw line and makes both shots as Soviet coach Vladimir Kondrashkin prematurely tries to signal time out USA 50, USSR 49.
The Soviets inbound the ball; two seconds elapse while their coach continues frantically to signal time out. 01 -- The referees, one from Bulgaria, the other from Brazil, stop play to check the commotion. The Soviets inbound with one second left. A pass glances off Belov’s hand and caroms harmlessly off the backboard. 00 -- The horn sounds and USA players celebrate the hard-fought victory. Final score: 50-49 USA. Only it wasn’t final. Enter Great Britain’s R. William Jones, secretary general of the International Amateur Basketball Federation (FIBA), the organization that governs international amateur basketball. Technically, he had no authority to intervene in an Olympic game. But he ruled international basketball with an iron hand, and when Jones ordered three seconds restored, apparently to honor the Soviets’ attempt to call a timeout, game officials acquiesced.
Under international rules of the time, the Soviets were not entitled to a time out. "I think Jones thought he could avoid controversy by giving them the time out," says Bill Wall of Amateur Basketball Association/USA. "Instead he created it. I just think he never thought they’d score." USA coach Henry Iba says one of the referees suggested he pull his team off the court. "But walking away with your tail between your legs is not the American way," Iba says. As it was, the Soviets appear -- on tape replay -- to commit at least three infractions on the winning play. 03 -- With three seconds back on the clock, McMillen prepares to defend against the inbound pass. But the official moves him to the foul line. The Soviets launch a court-length inbound pass. But the player throwing it steps on the end line just before he released it. Violation No. 1. Belov shoulder-blocks two USA defenders, Forbes and Kevin Joyce and they sprawl to the court as Belov catches the ball. Violation No. 2. Belov shuffles his pivot foot as he sets himself to lay in the winning basket. Violation no. 3. The shot banks in and the Soviets take the court for a victory dance similar to the USA’s frolic of moments before, USSR 51, USA 50. The USA files a protest that is rejected (Italy and Puerto Rico side with the USA; Hungary, Poland and Cuba do not). Iba was doubly robbed: A pickpocket lifted $370 from him as he signed the protest papers.
Source Unknown.
God assures that no temptation that has taken us is without a way of escape. (I Cor. 10:13)
1. The word for temptation comes from the word for testing. When we allow the Lord to use testing times in our life for His purposes we gain a greater degree of purity, holiness and maturity.
Thank God for every trial and test knowing that you can become perfect and complete lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-5)
2. The word for temptation can also mean assay. When a miner takes his rock to the assayer’s office he is seeking to have the raw materials tested to determine the quality of its ingredients.
Testing times have a way of helping us find out the quality of our character. Trials teach us where we are deficient in our character so we can become more like Christ.
Illustration:
Sir Alexander Mackenzie is a Canadian hero. An early fur trader and explorer, he accomplished a magnificent feat when he led an expedition across Canada from Fort Chippewyan on Lake Athabasca to the Pacific Ocean. His incredible journey was completed in 1793, 11 years before Lewis and Clark began their famous expedition to the west. Mackenzie’s earlier attempt in 1789, however, had been a major disappointment. His explorers had set out in an effort to find a water route to the Pacific. The valiant group followed a mighty river (now named the Mackenzie) with high hopes, paddling furiously amid great danger. Unfortunately, it didn’t empty into the Pacific, but into the Arctic Ocean. In his diary, Mackenzie called it the "River of Disappointment."
Daily Bread, July 1, 1990.
Illustration: In 1858 the Illinois legislature--using an obscure statute--sent Stephen A. Douglas to the U.S. Senate instead of Abraham Lincoln, although Lincoln had won the popular vote. When a sympathetic friend asked Lincoln how he felt, he said, "Like the boy who stubbed his toe: I am too big to cry and too badly hurt to laugh."
Source Unknown.
3. The word for temptation often times involves the degree of our commitment to Christ and His kingdom priorities. If we are not completely surrendered to Christ and His kingdom priorities there will be a compromise with the things of the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. (I JOhn 2:15,16)
Illustration: Early missionaries to the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific received their mail once a year when the sailing boat made its rounds of the South Pacific. On one occasion the boat was one day ahead of schedule, and the missionaries were off on a neighboring island. The captain left the mail with the Marshallese people while he attended to matters of getting stores of water and provisions. At last the Marshallese were in possession of what the missionaries sopke about so often and aparently cherished so much. The people examined the mail to find out what was so attractive about it. They concluded that it must be good to eat, and so they proceeded to tear all the letters into tiny bits and cook them. However, they didn’t taste very good, and the Marshallese were still puzzled about the missionaries’ strange interest in mail when they returned to find their year’s correspondence made into mush.
Adapted from Eugene A. Nida’s Customs and Cultures: Anthropology for Christian Missions, pp. 5-6.
4. The word for temptation teaches us how we are dependent on the Spirit of God to help us overcome evil with good rather than allowing evil to overcome us. (Rom. 12:21) We always have a choice when it comes to temptation - to yield or to overcome it. We are given a great promise by God that we can overcome any temptation that comes our way as long as we decide to choose the way of escape. Some people have refused to use the proper fire escapes when their buildings were engulfed in flames because of their fears.
Do not let fear, ignorance or stubbornness inhibit you from choosing the ways of escape from the burning passions of your own desires.
5. The word for temptation teaches us that we may not prevent the birds of testing times from flying over our heads, but we can stop them from building a nest in our brain. There are many testing times that we come our way but we have the ability to put on the full armor of God so we can stand firm in the evil day. Learn to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. If you will consciously put on the full armor of God and put off the desires of selfish desires you can be better rather than bitter from every testing situation.
6. The word for temptation often involves tears. Remember that Joseph’s temptation ended up many tears of imprisonment but He saw through the tears and wrongful treatment to God’s greater purposes. Allow God to turn your tears into shouts of joy. Weeping may last for a night but a shout of joy comes in the morning. At the end of Joseph’s tempations he was able to say to his brother’s who betrayed him, "You meant it for evil but God caused it for good, for the saving of many lives." (Gen 50:20)
Let us ask the Lord to give us more of Joseph’s long term thinking to trust God to use every betrayal, tear and hardship for His greater purposes in our lives.
7. The word for temptation teaches us that we can overcome criticisms, misunderstandings and attacks through the sovereign power of God. God did not give us the spirit of fear but of power, love and self-discipline. (2 Tim. 1:7)
Allow the Lord to work His mighty power that is greater than any temptation or evil power that might try to subdue you. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. (Isa 55:8,9)
Ask the Lord to work His providential power through every test that comes along for good. (Rom. 8:28) You may not realize how God is working things together for good, but know that He is sovereign over all people, events and processes.
8. The word for temptation teaches us that testing times can help us find a new beginning. Isa 43:12-16 teaches us how the Lord promises new starts when we are in need of fresh perspectives. The Lord is in the business of building new character, new opportunities and new relationships for those who are willing to trust, hope and love Him. Success is never ending and failure is never final.
Allow the Lord to keep working His creative innovations in your life, relationships and ministries. Never think that you are too old or too experienced to gain new innovations. We should always be pressing on for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus for improvements in all aspects. NO one ever gets to experienced that they cannot find ways of becoming more like Christ. When we stop growing we tend to atrophy.
9. The word for temptation teaches us that we are not defeated by the testing situation but by our reaction to it. Prov 20;3 says, " Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling." Learn to let a lot of things go as we all must learn how to pick our battles. There are many things that are just not worth fighting over. James 4:1-4 teaches us "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is it not your desires that wage war in your members? You fight and envy because you do not have what you want."
Learn to yield your rights to the Lord and He will give you the peace that is in Christ Jesus.
10. The word for temptation teaches us that we can all find ways to correct misbeliefs in our lives. Job summarized what he learned through the university of tears in Job 42:1,2 , "Lord, now I know you can do all things and no purpose of yours can be thwarted."
He learned that all of our rights, times and possessions ultimately belong to the Lord and are to be yielded completely for His purposes.
Only then are we able to see how testing, tears and temptations can be used for a greater good.
Conclusion:Early in my career as a doctor I went to see a patient who was coming out of anesthesia. Far off church chimes sounded. "I must be in heaven," the woman murmured. Then she saw me. "No, I can’t be," she said. "There’s Dr. Campbell."
Lenore Campbell, M.D., in Medical Economics.
Concluding story: The year was 1920. The scene was the examining board for selecting missionaries. Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald Smith. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, "Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open a door of service for me." Now, at last, his prayer would be answered. When the examination was over, the board turned Oswald Smith down. He did not meet their qualifications. He failed the test. Oswald Smith had set his direction, but now life gave him a detour. What would he do? As Oswald Smith prayed, God planted another idea in his heart. If he could not go as a missionary, he would build a church which could send out missionaries. And that is what he did. Oswald Smith pastored The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada, which sent out more missionaries than any other church at that time. Oswald Smith brought God into the situation, and God transformed his detour into a main thoroughfare of service.
Brian L. Harbour, Rising Above the Crowd.
