Passing the Final Exam

Last Friday I went to a local testing center to take a proctored exam to become a Certified Personal Trainer.  I began the course back in November, went through all of the material which included online video lectures and demonstrations, and a huge text book. The course included anatomy and physiology, behavioral psychology, exercise modalities, and even a bit of, what I recognized as, organic chemistry. It was a self-paced course that had to be completed within six months. It took me about 4 months to go through all the material. Then for another month, I studied for the final exam.   

I was pretty nervous about the test. It was a lot of material to study and, although I had taken lots of practice tests, I wasn’t quite sure what the questions on the final would be like. Once I arrived at the testing center and was screened through “security” to prevent any cheating (which included making sure my glasses were not “smart glasses!”), I was led to a computer to begin the test. Once begun, I proceeded through a series of multiple choice questions, 120 in all. When I was done, I hit the “submit” button and then held my breath. Had I passed or failed? What would pop up next on the screen? Then it came: “PASSED.” And I let out a quiet sigh of relief. I was now a Certified Personal Trainer! 

Did you know that we are all living our lives preparing for a final exam? The Bible shows us that our lives are to be lived in preparation for the life to come. We might say, the way we live our lives now is in some ways a test. And at the end of it rather than seeing the words “PASSED” on a screen, the best words we can receive are the words that Jesus spoke, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21 – NIV)  As much as I was glad to have seen the words “PASSED” on the computer screen in front of me, I know that one day I will be much more glad to hear those words that signify that I have passed the most important test of all: the test of life.   

My hope is that, when I cross from this life into the next and one day stand before God, he will find me to have been a faithful servant.  According to Jesus’ words, he’s won’t assess my life based on how “successful” I was in terms of my career (for me, my life as a pastor), how influential I was, how much money I made, whether or not I had become a person of fame, etc. Rather, he will be looking to see whether or not I held onto my faith, how I used the things he had placed into my hands, and whether or not I had been a blessing to those around me. The final exam will be based on my faithfulness to him, to his work, and to others. 

I want to encourage us all to make the end goal of our lives those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Those are the ultimate words that will signify, we have passed the final exam! 

Have a great day! 

- Pastor Tim Harris