About twenty years ago, I bought a book called 'The Road Less Traveled' by Scott M. Peck. The opening line of the book is... 'Life is difficult.' I hated that line, it made me so angry that I didn't read any further and put the book away. I did not want to accept that statement. I wanted to live with the illusion that life should be fun and easy. Well... some five years later, and being forced to face life's difficulties, feeling disillusioned, coming to terms with life's harsh realities... I picked up the book again. This time around it made a whole lot of sense. I could 'hear' what the author was saying... because I was open to listening, I was no longer delusional. ;-)
The author made a very simple but profound point... that as long as we refuse to believe that there will be difficulties in life we will over-react to them as we are not expecting them and are not prepared to handle them. When we accept that difficulties are a part of life, we will take it in stride and will be better equipped to deal with them.
The reality is that life has been created difficult, it has many tests and trials for us. We know that but we forget it. The following Qur'ânic ayât show that pretty much everything about this life is a trial. Family, wealth, relationships, good and bad things.. everything are means of testing us.
Sûrah al Baqarâh 2.155
'And most certainly shall We try you be means of danger and hunger and loss of worldly goods, of lives of (labor's) fruits. But give glad tidings unto those who are patient in adversity.'
Sûrah al Imrân 3.186
'You shall most certainly be tried in your possessions and in your persons...'
Sûrah al An'am 6.53
'For it is in this way that We try men through one another...'
Sûrah al Anfâl 8.28
'And know that your worldly goods and your children are but a trial and a temptation...'
Sûrah al Kâhf 18.7
'Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a means by which We put men to a test, (showing) which of them are best in conduct.'
Sûrah al Anbiyâ 21.35
'Every human being is bound to taste death and We test you through the bad and the good, by way of trial; and unto Us you all must return.'
Sûrah al Ankabût 29.2
'Do men think that on their saying, 'We have attained to faith' they will be left to themselves, and will not be put to a test?'
Sûrah al Balad 90.4
'Verily, We have created man into pain, toil and trial.'
What are these tests for and can they benefit us?
So lets use an analogy to understand what tests do. In school we have to take tests to show our strength or weakness in each subject... based on the result we pass or fail. So a test is designed to bring out our potential... to show us areas that we excel in as well as areas that we need to work on.
Life's tests are pretty much in every area of life.. be it health, wealth, family or whatever. Life's tests bring out our strength or weakness for us in the same way that school tests did. Dealing with tests is a matter of creating a mind-set that is focused on overcoming the difficulties instead of letting them overwhelm us. If we look at the difficulties that we face in our life and think of them as opportunities to build our strengths our attitude toward them will change. We will feel stronger instead of weak and helpless. When we feel helpless we are less tolerant and more impatient.
Reliance on God helps. Knowing that these tests are from Him, to help us grow and become better human beings.. not only in relation to ourselves, but others as well as in our relationship to God.
© 2004 published on www.crescentlife.com
