The Jesus Way - Eugene Peterson

We need testing. God tests us.
Have we slipped into the habit of insisting that God do what we ask or want or need him to do,
treating him as an idol designed for our own satisfaction?
Does God serve us or do we serve God?
Do we require a God that we can fully understand and control,
or are we willing to be obedient to what we do not understand
and could never control?

Is God a mystery of goodness whom we embrace and trust,
or is God a formula for getting the most out of life on our terms?

Have we thought all along that God is there to serve us?

Do we want God in our own image
or do we want the God who is beyond us and over us,
who we trust will do for us what only God can do
in the way that only God can do it -
no strings attached,
no reservations,
no caveats,
the whole hog?

The test will tell us.

"On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while. Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns." 1 Peter 1:6-7 (Contemporary English Version)