"Will You Give Me a Hand?

I get a great deal of joy each year as I see kids begin to get ready to go back to school. Our church is next door to an elementary school and I enjoy hearing the kids in the play ground and seeing the smiles on their faces. But the greatest joy I get from seeing kids heading off to school is knowing I'm not one of them. I never was a big fan of school. I liked recess and lunchtime. I liked most of my teachers and didn’t mind reading books and studying from time to time. However, the thing that I really disliked about school was the tests. The “pop quiz”, the “”mid-term” , the “final exam”. Very clever how they have managed to avoid using the word “test” in all those phrases. But that’s what they are, TESTS, and I don’t like them. Tests are to revealing, I much prefer the “yes I know the answer just take my word for it” kind of approach to learning. The reason I was so anxious to get out of school was that once school is over that would mark the end of tests in my life. True or False? See end of blog for answer.

Life is filled with tests. The tests never end. Therefore it is not surprising that we find in scripture teaching about different kinds of test we are going to face in our life. Most of them fall under the category of “the pop quiz”, because we weren’t expecting it. Two kinds of tests come to mind.

The testing of our faith. 1 Peter 1:6-8; James 1:2-4

Faith is tested by problems - Faith is tested by trials, tribulation, persecution and various other things that we would put in the negative column of our lives. Trials force us to look up to God, do we trust Him, do we believe He is still loving, do we believe he is still in control. Trials test what we believe about God.

But there is another kinds of test that is much harder than the test of adversity. More people fail the test of praise than they do the test of adversity.

Proverbs 27:21 “...A man is tested by his praise” If faith is tested by problems then it is safe to say that ...
Character is tested by praise - the test here is not what people are saying about you. If it’s good you pass the test. It’s not that at all. We know what they are saying and it is good, it’s called “praise”. You are hearing things like, “great job,” “wow that was amazing”, “No one can do it any better than that”, “you are really special”, “I have never heard it said any clearer”, and on and on it goes. That’s called praise. And we like it. Some people live for it. John 12:43

Praise causes us to look inward and it tests our character. It is true that problems can change us but it also true that praise can corrupt us. We see this every day on the entertainment news splashed across the airwaves. People whose lives have been corrupted by praise.

“A man is tested by his praise”. Character is tested by praise. Here are some dangers of praise.

Praise can feed our pride
Praise can give us a sense of entitlement - we deserve the perks of being “amazing”.
Praise can become our motivation for doing things
Praise can cause us to take the glory instead of the One to whom it truly belongs.
Praise can become like a drug - if we are not getting we start to look for it any where we can find it. We can’t imagine life without it.
Praise can become our master - tells us how to act and what to say to stimulate more praise.
Praise causes us to think we should be served not one who serves.
Praise feeds our flesh - our flesh craves for it. When we begin to believe the praises people lavish us with the flesh grows in strength and becomes demanding, proud, ignorant, belittling, expectant, rude, self-serving, self-loving, just to name a few. Praise can turn us into a monster.

It is safe to say that far more people pass the test of problems than pass the tests of praise.
However, praise does not have to do this to us. If we are to pass the test of praise we must stay close to God, be filled with His Spirit Ephesians 5:18, and stay close to friends who will keep us accountable, friends who are not afraid to share a loving rebuke when needed.

Praise should humble us not puff us up - without Jesus we can do nothing.
Praise should cause us to give God the glory. Our talents and gifts are from Him and for his glory.
Praise should be appreciated when given, but not sought after.
Praise should never become our motivation for doing things.

Faith is tested by problems

Character is tested by praise - Are you waiting for someone to give you a hand (applause)? Here's a loving word, GET OVER YOURSELF, get your eyes on God and he will focus our eyes on others. Become a servant to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31; Hebrews 13:20-21;

The answer to the true and false question is FALSE.