The Toddler Challenge

The Toddler Challenge has been all over social media and even showed up on some news programs. A mother sits her toddler at the table with a cookie or a bowl of candy and tells the child not to eat it until she returns. She leaves for a short time and keeps the camera rolling. This results in so many cute pictures of precious, though not always innocent toddlers. My favorites are those in which the child licks his lips, or smells the treat, or just excitedly holds his hands back in anticipation. But the one that made me laugh the hardest was the little fellow who popped a piece of the candy in his mouth and chewed fast, while full body dancing. He then calmly sat down to wait for his mom, the picture of innocence.

The Toddler Challenge is interesting, funny and sweet, as well as a great open door for teaching.

Our response to "challenges" are not usually interesting, funny or sweet, but God always intends they be an open door for Him to teach us.

He sets us up with choices. God does not tempt us, but He does allows things in our fallen world to come before us that ultimately offer us a choice. It is not God but our own earthly desires that call us to make the wrong choice. (James 1:13-15) The more we listen to the Holy Spirit inside us and not our mind, will and emotions, the more we are able to resist temptation. Like Jesus we can "learn obedience" through suffering. When we yield to the Holy Spirit we are allowing Jesus to be who He is, our Overcomer, and God is glorified!

But my musings today are not about temptations, but trials. We have all been in the midst of a trail for months and I, like you, am so weary of it all.

James 1:2-3 says "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." My paraphrase: Trials are hard, have faith and you will be stronger in the end. 

While that is true, there is more in that verse. I found it interesting to learn that trials, temptations and tests are all the same in the original language. To me, a trial seems to be just a really hard time we go through, but a temptation or test happens when we want something that we are not supposed to have right now or ever. James is putting them in the same bucket. That is a completely different perspective. It's more personal. The trial is the test. I guess I knew that we might be tempted during trials, but I didn't know the trail was the test. We are not just gritting our teeth waiting for this thing to be over so we will be stronger in our faith. We are actively being tested and it is more than a chocolate chip cookie. 

God has allowed our fallen world to bring us trials that we cannot escape. 

A test

Spiritual Warfare

My Jesus is the Overcomer and He will go with me.

The test will make my faith stronger.

May God be glorified in each of our lives during this trial 

as we yield to the Holy Spirit in us!