You may not realize it, but every day you are being tested. And no, you aren’t being tested on Shakespeare or the periodic table, as in high school. Instead, this is a test from God.

God is testing you. Throughout your day, you are getting little pop quizzes. And He is testing you on one thing only: Are you being kind and compassionate toward others? It is that simple. And it is that difficult.

I’ll give you a small example. A number of years ago, I was exiting the highway in my car. I came to a stop at a light, and I unexpectedly felt a bump. The car behind me had hit me. We both pulled to the side and got out of our cars.

Now, I had a choice in that moment. I could get upset and carry on like a lot of people do in that type of situation. Or, I could calmly see what, if any, damage there was and proceed from there. I knew this was one of God’s many tests for me, so I was calm. The other driver and I checked our cars and found no damage. He was a young man and was visibly shaken. So, I reassured him that we were both fine, and that there wasn’t an issue. Then we both got in our cars and went on our way.

That day, God gave me a pop quiz, and I passed. I don’t always pass, but that day I did.

Are You Passing the Kindness and Compassion Test?

Life is less complicated than you think. God doesn’t ask us to be perfect. He doesn’t ask us to make a lot of money. He doesn’t need for us to be thin and beautiful. God’s expectations of us have nothing to do with what society values.

Instead, God needs two things from you at every moment of every day: He needs you to be kind, and He needs you to be compassionate. That’s it. If you can do that, you’ve mastered life.

That may sound simple, but I don’t know anyone who is able to be kind and compassionate 100% of the time. We all fail from time to time. But once we understand what we are being tested on, then the test is a whole lot easier to pass.

Below are some things that you can do to start passing God’s daily pop quizzes. Start incorporating them in your own life, and see your grade improve dramatically!

Get Out of Your Own Head

If you have ever observed a baby, you’ve seen that babies only are concerned about their own needs. They are either hungry or tired or need their diaper changed. And they aren’t concerned at all about whether mom and dad are exhausted and need a break from caregiving.

Strangely, some people never graduate from this “baby” stage. They live their lives solely focused on meeting their own needs. So, if something upsetting happens, they only consider how it makes them feel. They can’t see beyond their own experience.

The hallmark of maturity is when you finally stop obsessing about how you feel and start concerning yourself with the feelings of others. Being concerned about the feelings of others is part of being a mature, civilized person.

Consider the Feelings of Others

So, if you want to respond in a kind and compassionate manner to others at all times, you need to get out of your own head. Instead, you need to think about how other people may be feeling at this moment.

For instance, the next time you are at the grocery store and the cashier is grouchy, stop worrying about how that person’s behavior is making you feel. Yes, it is disappointing to not get good customer service. But get beyond that disappointment.  Consider that your cashier may be having a tough day. That person may be having a relationship issue or financial problems that are causing him or her stress. Instead of being offended by their behavior, go the extra mile to be kind. Pass your pop quiz by seeing if you can turn that person’s day around with kindness.

When we get out of our own heads, it is easier to pass those daily pop quizzes that God gives to us. It is just a matter of taking the focus off of our own feelings, and trying to understand how the other person may be feeling. That approach puts us on the path to compassion and kindness.

Compassion and Kindness Require Mental Fortitude

There are a lot of people in this world who are mentally weak. They lack self-control. They fly off the handle at the smallest inconvenience. If they are under stress, they yell and create a big commotion. Or they are nasty if they feel insecure about themselves and their abilities. Their minds are weak.

It takes mental fortitude to be kind no matter what the circumstances, and no matter how you are feeling. That kind of fortitude doesn’t develop overnight. And frankly there are a lot of people who never achieve it.

But without self-control, you aren’t going to pass God’s tests. Your ability to be compassionate isn’t being tested when you are having a great day and are feeling benevolent toward the world. Instead, your ability to be compassionate is going to be tested when your great-aunt asks you why you aren’t married yet, and you feel like telling her off. But instead, you muster up some self-control and realize that she is an older person, and telling off the elderly isn’t very nice. Then you make a light-hearted joke about your singledom and change the subject.

Anyone can be mean and hurl insults. That takes a tiny brain. It takes maturity and strength of character to be kind and compassionate in all circumstances. Without that kind of mental fortitude, you will not pass your pop quizzes.

Decide Who You Want to Impress

There comes a point in life when you have to make a choice. Who do you want to impress? Do you want to impress God? Or do you want to impress your friends and family (or society at large)?

When your life revolves around trying to impress God, things become pretty simple. God has two requirements of us. He asks us to be kind in all circumstances. And he asks us to feel compassion toward everyone we encounter. When God comes first, then deciding how to act in any situation is simple. Be kind and be compassionate. Those are your only two options.

There are lots of people in the world who claim to follow a religion. In fact, they say that 84% of the world’s inhabitants identify with a religion. Interestingly, the common denominator between all religions is that they all value kindness and compassion. Yet, how little kindness and compassion do we see in the world today? Very little.

We Need to Be Compassionate and Kind Toward Everyone

The reality is that all most folks who claim to follow a religion only follow it in theory. They extend their compassion only to those who practice their religion. Or they may be kind only when they are in a in a good mood, or everything in their lives is going well. They haven’t made a real commitment to give up their lives to God.

It isn’t easy to be kind and compassionate at all times. It is much easier to be nice to the people we like, and to show compassion to those we understand. But God doesn’t give us easy tests. Our kindness is tested when a family member insults us. Our compassion is tested when we see a friend pointlessly abusing drugs or alcohol.

This week, ask yourself, “Am I passing God’s pop quizzes? Am I consistently choosing to act with kindness and compassion no matter what the circumstances?” None of us is perfect in this regard. But imagine what would happen in the world if we all started trying? We very well may create heaven on earth.

Email: meerabelle@meerabelledey.com

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