Why does God (love to) test us?

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Why does God always test us, as a race and as individuals? Is it God’s nature to test? It seems to me that after one test, comes another. Ultimately… does it all boil down to that if we pass all of life’s tests we go to heaven if we fail we go to hell?

Is that all life is… one big test? Does it bring him joy to constantly test us? (and even more if we pass?)

Is that all life is… a patience and testing game? A constant, daily test of our faith?

I came across a saying…if you manage to carry your cross, God sends you another (heavier) one.

The Bible is full characters being tested as well… the prophets of the OT, to Jesus, up to the apostles.

(Not trying to blaspheme, just trying to ask a question.)
 
I don’t think God “tests” us, I think He allows the natural world to keep on doing what it does, and THAT tests us. Illness, death, sorrow, loss, tragedy, natural disasters, financial pitfalls, etc., are all part of the natural order of things. God allows these things because all of creation has free will in that it follows the order He created for it; therefor, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, sick babies, people with injuries or illness, etc.

I think what God does is offer the grace to endure the trials. Sometimes we don’t feel it, sometimes we can’t accept it, but I believe His grace is, ultimately, sufficient to endure all suffering. You have a quote at the end of your post (I guess it’s your signature line) that says we must pray for the souls in purgatory because their suffering is far greater than our own but, I’m here to tell you, what I’m suffering in this lifetime can’t be beat by anything in purgatory. And God’s grace is sufficient, although there are times it’s hard for me to allow Him.
 
I would pose that it isn’t Him testing us but us testing Him. We are the ones who choose to sin.
 
TemplarKnight1 said:
Why does God always test us, as a race and as individuals? Is it God’s nature to test? It seems to me that after one test, comes another. Ultimately… does it all boil down to that if we pass all of life’s tests we go to heaven if we fail we go to hell?

Is that all life is… one big test? Does it bring him joy to constantly test us? (and even more if we pass?)

Is that all life is… a patience and testing game? A constant, daily test of our faith?

I came across a saying…if you manage to carry your cross, God sends you another (heavier) one.

The Bible is full characters being tested as well… the prophets of the OT, to Jesus, up to the apostles.

(Not trying to blaspheme, just trying to ask a question.)
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Tests are for our sakes. They give us much needed knowledge about ourselves in all situations. Otherwise how could the following happen for us?

Matthew 10:38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Rom 8:17* and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Hebrews 5:8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered
 
TemplarKnight1 said:
Why does God always test us, as a race and as individuals? Is it God’s nature to test? It seems to me that after one test, comes another. Ultimately… does it all boil down to that if we pass all of life’s tests we go to heaven if we fail we go to hell?

Is that all life is… one big test? Does it bring him joy to constantly test us? (and even more if we pass?)

Is that all life is… a patience and testing game? A constant, daily test of our faith?

I came across a saying…if you manage to carry your cross, God sends you another (heavier) one.

The Bible is full characters being tested as well… the prophets of the OT, to Jesus, up to the apostles.

(Not trying to blaspheme, just trying to ask a question.)
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Without tests, how would you know you passed the exams? God knows, but you don’t. If you are punished without knowing your grades, you would cry foul. But not the other way. ie you got rewarded and you didn’t know how you did your tests. Would you cry unfair?

Not all tests come from God. Satan tests you all the time. If you succumb, don’t blame God. A & E comes to mind.
 
God wants you to get to know him. We do this by persevering.

As James says… Consider it joy my brethren.
 
I agree with you. Life is a series of tests. God knows how we will do, but we still have to do it. These tests are learning vehicles for us. If we do well, we learn to love God and others. If we fail these tests, it is because we only loved ourselves.

You see, love is doing things for others without expecting anything in return. Its hard to do things for others that don’t need anything. Thats why everyone on earth has needs. Those things called tests are just the manifestations of those needs.
 
ellzeena said:
I don’t think God “tests” us, I think He allows the natural world to keep on doing what it does, and THAT tests us. Illness, death, sorrow, loss, tragedy, natural disasters, financial pitfalls, etc., are all part of the natural order of things. God allows these things because all of creation has free will in that it follows the order He created for it; therefore, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, sick babies, people with injuries or illness, etc.
I think what God does is offer the grace to endure the trials. Sometimes we don’t feel it, sometimes we can’t accept it, but I believe His grace is, ultimately, sufficient to endure all suffering. You have a quote at the end of your post (I guess it’s your signature line) that says we must pray for the souls in purgatory because their suffering is far greater than our own but, I’m here to tell you, what I’m suffering in this lifetime can’t be beat by anything in purgatory. And God’s grace is sufficient, although there are times it’s hard for me to allow Him.
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The first part of your post is what I need to remind myself of time and again to not fall into the ever present temptation to conclude that God meant me harm, like he arbitrarily picked me and surrounded me with circumstances that promised nothing good. i’m with you on purgatory, to people like me, purgatory can’t be anything but a relief, it just can’t. It just can’t rival with depression, anxiety, underlying desire to not exist, the mortifying sadness to realize God is not like a good earthly father, mortifying loneliness, lack of self love/worth/acceptance, the crippling fear of hell etc. I’ll be saying a (at long last) final farewell to my cursed and subhuman lineage when/if I go to purgatory. I see it as free divine therapy.
 
God lets principalities test us and then sits back and sees our reaction. Do we get bitter towards God? Do we get angry at God? Curse God?

Or do we still love Him with all of our hearts, minds, body, and soul despite it all?

God understand our tears, our anguish, our mourning, our pain. What He wants is for us to reach to Him.And know that despite it all, We love Him and He loves us.

Be still and Know that IAM
 
What earthly reason would God have for testing us except for our own good? He, who already knows the beginning and the end of everything, He who knows how we will act before we do so? Everything that God does has only one end in mind-- love.

You have to ask yourself, why are we here in the first place? You already know the answer. Adam left the good place. We have two choices. Build ourselves a good place here on our own without God, or try to get back to the good place where we were meant to be with God. How do we do that? Cross. That is essentially the idea of “test” in a nutshell. Go for self, or go for God. Going for God is denying self-- that’s the cross. Going for ourselves is attempting to avoid the cross-- that’s the world. Christ said if a man does not take up his cross and follow Him, he is not worthy of Him. That is the test.
 
Robertanthony said:
…]the mortifying sadness to realize God is not like a good earthly father …]
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No, God is not like a good earthly father. He’s way better. 🙂 He is Love and Mercy itself, as Jesus said to St. Faustina. God loves you more than any merely-good earthly father ever could.

Don’t confuse suffering with testing. When you suffer, you are especially loved by God. God is with you in your suffering. Only the evil one wants you to doubt the love of God.

May Christ’s Peace be with you.
 
I think God’s desire is to remake us (to make us whole again), to perfect us. He doesn’t want to see if we succeed or fail, he wants to make us so that we succeed.
 
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