Online Reporter
It is a common practice, in most military and security organisations, to go through a series of tests when one is due for promotion.
These tests may include re-trainings, sitting for promotional examinations, oral interviews and other selection processes. Furthermore, an officer’s record of service (personal file containing an account of the officer’s performance, discipline, among other things) is put to scrutiny. If one passes the relevant promotion phases, there is no reason for them not to be promoted.
Besides working on their physique and studying for the examinations, most ambitious officers try hard to maintain a high level of discipline for they do not want anything to stand in their way. Indeed, most of those, who adequately prepare themselves almost always get promoted.
Having some tests before promotion is also a system that prevails in this universe for everyone. We are not meant to be , for we were born to win, achieve greatness and lead a triumphant life. Our Creator delights in promoting us from glory to glory, but here is the catch: We have to prove we are worthy of the promotion through passing the series of tests given to us.
I always cringe when I hear a person demanding; why me, why are people always provoking me, why do I always have to suffer or why do I always have to be the one to go through endless challenges? What they do not understand is that those situations are the tests that they are supposed to pass for them to move on to a higher level. The fact that they are continuously being tested may mean either of the two: they already passed some tests in the past, got promoted and are now being tested again to be promoted further, or they have been failing to pass their tests and because our God has ample love they are continuously being given chance after chance to try again.
Here is something great to our favour: God, the Promoter does not mind how bad your record of the past is. You may have deliberately erred or fallen in the wrong path, as long as you come to Him in repentance, everything is forgiven. For your promotion, only the good deeds are considered.
But here is where most of us miss it: we are not excited about the tests, we do not want them at all. When the tests come, we blame, we lash out, we complain and even confront God with the “why me” mentality. All we want is the promotion. We pray for the promotion and when God answers through giving us tests, we repeat the mourning cycle. We do not realise that the tests are the road to the promotion that we want.
An anonymous writer captured it aptly when they wrote, “We pray for flowers and God gives us rain.” We may not know it, but our blessings are usually concealed in what we regard as problems.
I therefore, challenge you, to look around you for the tests and go on to pass them. The test of that colleague, who always provokes you, pass it through patience and understanding. The test of that begging blind person, whom you rush past by every day, pass it through compassion and giving. The test of that once trusted friend, who betrayed you, pass it through forgiveness and love . . .
The tests can even come clothed in situations and circumstances: the test of sickness on you or a loved one, the test of financial struggles, of marital/relationship/family problems; pass them all with resilience, trust and faith in God.
Passing these examinations is not even hard, for we all have an internal guiding system. We are connected to a deeper and infinite wisdom that can provide all answers if we are calm and quiet enough to listen. What’s more, these are the kind of examinations in which we are allowed to consult and copy from those who already passed.
You see, the tests are just formalities and you are naturally meant to pass them! Promotion and victory belongs to you!
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