Bible Studies

Are You Passing The People Tests?

by Doug Laird 
03/10/22
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Are You Passing the Daily People Tests?

The “people test” is a high hurdle to overcome along the road to spiritual maturity. The people test presents itself on a daily basis in one of two categories.

Category “A” is in view when the advancing disciple is tempted to compromise his or her spiritual convictions in order to please, or in order not to contend with, the object of his or her personal love.

This object can be a person (Luke 14: 26) or a thing (Col. 3: 5).

When the object is a person, it is spiritual adultery (Rev. 2: 4) that is in view.

“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love (Rev. 2: 4 NASB).”

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate (love less than Me) his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life (plans), he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14: 26 NASB parenthesis mine).”

When the object is a thing, it is idolatry that is in view.

For example, “…his own life (plans) Luke 14: 26 NASB parenthesis mine.”

“Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to IDOLATRY (Col. 3: 5 NASB).”

Anything, even an otherwise good thing, that is given God’s place of priority has become an idol in the life of a Church Age believer (Col. 3: 5).

To check (2Cor. 13: 5) for adulterating or idolatrizing objects in one’s life, advancing disciples must ask themselves, who or what is it that dominates his or her thoughts and influences his or her actions (Proverbs 23: 7a) on a daily basis.

Is it God, or is it such things as our relationships, wealth, health, and social standing? When having to make a choice between favoring God or anyone/anything else, who wins?

Category “B” is in view when the advancing disciple is tempted not to respond according to the teaching or leading of God the Holy Spirit when interacting with his or her enemies.
. . .
One’s spiritual enemies, impeding one’s spiritual progress, can be the members of one’s own household (Matt. 10: 36 NASB).

“…a man's enemies will be the members of his household (Matt. 10: 36 NASB parenthesis mine).”

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matt. 5: 44 NASB).”

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on YOU, be at peace with ALL men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I WILL repay," says the Lord. If your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12: 17 - 21 NASB).”

None of the above responses are going to be our natural inclination when hurt, insulted, misunderstood, or rejected.

Therefore, the difficulty in passing people tests is that success requires the advancing disciple not to do what comes naturally, but to do what God requires, making use of the enabling power (John 15: 5) that He supplies.

All disciples are born-again believers, but not all born-again believers are disciples (students and appliers of the Word of God).

Being occupied (consciously aware) of the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, indwelling Christ, can go along way to being successful when the daily people-tests present themselves.

Such tests are NOT for GOD to see how well WE are doing. God already knows that. These tests are opportunities for the advancing disciple to glorify God, and for US to see just how well we are doing in our advance towards spiritual maturity.

Seeking the support or dragging the opinions of third parties into the situations only adds more fuel to the fire.

These tests can hit us on our blind-side via upsetting words or actions by other people. When we follow through with a negative response, our SIN takes US out of fellowship with God. A negative response can escalate the situation. At the very least, it costs us and those around us our peace of mind.

When we fail these tests, God is denied the glory. The thought of God being denied the glory is not foremost in the mind of a self-centered individual, but is foremost in the mind of an advancing disciple.

Blown opportunities to glorify God rests heavily on the conscience of an advancing disciple. Success in handling people tests builds spiritual muscle for handling similar tests in the future.

In my thirty years of law enforcement, I observed that people operate their motor vehicles in accordance with their frame of mind at any given moment of time. Rushed people speed. Impatient people tailgate. Unstable people drive erratically. Angry people engage in road rage.

Just think of how many “people tests” one can encounter during just one session of morning or afternoon rush-hour traffic.
What can be a good morning preparation or an afternoon winding down experience for some, is a white-knuckled, wheel-gripping, competition with others, as if they were in the Indianapolis 500.

People testing can try our patience when waiting in long lines at checkouts, being put on hold for extended periods of time on the phone, or when trying to secure satisfactory customer service.

We are confronted with people tests every day throughout the course of our daily activities.

Our response to the people tests associated with such daily activities reveals much about where we are along the road to spiritual maturity.

Anyone can be nice with nice people in nice situations. The test of our mettle enters the picture when we face adversity.

The advancing disciple learns that he or she has no control over the thoughts, the words, or the actions of other people. The advancing disciple will learn that there is no negative response that is worth getting out of fellowship with God, or losing one’s own peace of mind.

One can NOT be friends with people who are functioning under the influence of the fallen nature in Man, and be at peace with God (James 4: 4) at the same time.

Trying to be a people-pleaser (Gal. 1: 10) can jeopardize one’s standing as a servant of God. The more one takes a godly stand in an ungodly world, the more one will find himself or herself having to ask, “So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth (Gal. 4: 16 NASB).”

Welcome to the world of discipleship!

Advancing disciples live to serve Christ at all cost (Phil.1: 21).

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil. 1: 21 NASB).

In closing, compare the Matt. 5: 19 consequences and incentive.

“Whoever then annuls one of the LEAST of these commandments, AND TEACHES OTHERS do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and TEACHES them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5: 19 NASB).”

We ALL teach others by what WE say or do!

Luke 9: 26 adds a little more wood to the fire.

“For whoever is ashamed of Me and (evidenced by not being willing to apply) My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels (Luke 9: 26 NASB parenthesis mine).”

When children play hide-and-go seek, whoever is it announces to others, “Ready or not, here I come.”

Likewise, each and every day, the people tests are coming, rather we are ready or not. The glory of God and our personal testimony hangs in the balance by how we choose to respond to them.