If I had to choose a sermon topic I hated hearing the most in church growing up, it’d be…

God testing you.

Whenever I heard this, it painted a picture of God in my head as a cosmic taskmaster who set you up to fail.

I used to think God just wanted to put me through the wringer to punishment me “not being good enough.” Maybe you’ve felt that way too.

Here’s the thing: God isn’t like that.

The truth is, when God tests us, it’s not because He’s angry. It’s because He sees something in us we don’t yet see in ourselves.

He desires to bring out our true potential. To purify us. To pull out the shine and strength that was always meant to be there.

The Fire Is Evidence Of Your Worth

I won’t sugarcoat this: being tested hurts.

It burns away the things we thought we needed — like the comforts we cling to, the identities we build for ourselves, the false security we wrap around our lives.

There have been nights when I’ve wept on my floor because I felt like I was losing everything.

But in the middle of that pain, I’ve sensed God consistently whispering:

“I didn’t re-create you to stay at the level where I found you.”

You see, God doesn’t just desire to save us from hell and then step back, never working in our lives again. He desires to completely change how we think, what we desire, and how we operate.

He literally wants us to level up.

Here’s something I’ve realized: God doesn’t waste His time refining people. If He’s allowing the fire, it’s because there’s gold in you that He refuses to leave buried.

He Empowers Us For The Call

This is where I used to get stuck.

I believed God was calling me to something higher, but I thought it was all on me to get there. I put the weight of my own transformation on my shoulders and nearly collapsed under the pressure.

I did this partially because I heard growing up in church, “God helps those who help themselves.”

But that’s not how God works. Yes, He calls us to grow, but He doesn’t leave us to figure it all out on our own.

The Bible says in Philippians 2:12-13:

“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

The “fear” mentioned here doesn’t mean being terrified of God in some toxic way. It means standing in awe of and highly respecting Him.

For a long time, when I read this, I heard something more like, “Figure it out. Try harder. Don’t mess up. Be afraid because God is mad at you.” And because of that, I lived with a constant fear of failing God.

But that’s not what this scripture is saying!

I missed the second part: “It is God who works in you.”

This verse is actually saying something closer to: “Walk out your salvation with awe because God is working in you to desire and be able to do what He wants you to do.”

That’s a completely different picture than the one I had growing up in church.

He’s not standing on the sidelines, waiting to see if you fail. He’s in the trenches with you. He gives you the desire to keep going when you want to quit. He gives you the strength to take another step when you feel like you can’t.

God doesn’t just call you higher. He carries you there.

So, with that said, the classic church quote “God helps those who help themselves” is not only unbiblical… it’s toxic.

A more biblically accurate statement would be:

“God makes you capable of helping yourself”

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. It means you’re not alone and His power is working in you.

You Are Made For More

Because God loves you, He refuses to let stay buried under fear, apathy, and compromise.

He wants you to see yourself as the masterpiece He created you to be.

And masterpieces don’t just happen. They’re chiseled. Shaped. Refined. And sometimes, that process is painful. Sometimes it feels like God is stripping everything away. But the pain isn’t the point: what He’s creating is.

God sees more in you than you see in yourself.

He’s committed to transforming you, even when it’s uncomfortable. Because He knows what you’re capable of when you walk fully in who He made you to be.

But here’s the thing: If you see God as a harsh taskmaster, you’ll always feel like you’re not enough. You’ll keep trying to earn His love, to avoid His disappointment.

But that’s not who He is.

He’s a good Father. A wise Creator. The One who knows exactly who you are and exactly what you need to grow into your purpose.

And when you see Him the right way, you stop resisting the process and start trusting it.

You’ll trust Him even when it hurts. You’ll surrender even when it’s hard. You’ll run after Him because you’ll know He’s not asking for more than what He’s willing to empower you to do.

Pursue The Higher call

God isn’t calling you to become someone else. He’s calling you to become who you already are in Him. The person He created you to be. The new creation you are because the Holy Spirit lives in you (if you’ve accepted Jesus that is).

This is about identity.
This is about trust.
This is about partnership.

He’s calling you higher. So say yes. Even when it’s hard.

If you don’t know Jesus, read this booklet that will explain how to become born again so that you can.

Ps. We also have resources to help you grow in your relationship with God.