Never Been Tested

Most of us believe that when the moment of truth comes, we will do the right thing. We think we are brave enough, smart enough, or strong enough to face down whatever challenges may arise. We trust in our own ability to persevere, to stand firm, to remain unwavering in the face of trials. In a word, we are proud and self-reliant.

Recently, I heard a song that made me reflect on this assumption:

I’m not a coward, I’ve just never been tested.

I’d like to think that if I was, I would pass.

Look at the tested and think,There but for the grace go I.

Might be a coward, I’m afraid of what I might find out.

I think most of us can relate to this sentiment. We don’t really know what we are capable of until we are tested. We assume we would stand strong, but the truth is, we don’t realize how fragile we are, how little control we truly have over our lives. We like to believe we are in command, that we could weather the storm on our own. But the reality is far more humbling.

“There but for the grace of God go I.” That is really the key. If we truly want to pass the test, we need more than our own strength—we need the strength of God’s grace.

It is so easy to believe we have all the answers and so difficult to be humble enough to admit that we don’t. What would I do if I were not so blessed? Would I be courageous in the face of danger? Would I be faithful in the face of suffering? Would I be strong when everything around me crumbles? Like the songwriter, I hope that I would pass. But would I? That is not an easy question to answer.

At heart, am I a coward? Perhaps. Am I weak? Most likely. Yet, like Saint Paul, I thank God that I do not have to rely on my own strength, for it would surely fail. “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30). I boast only in Christ who strengthens me. His strength is my strength, and ultimately, I am profoundly grateful for this.

I can only imagine how badly I would falter if left to my own devices—in my pettiness, in my sin, in my overconfidence. Even now, when I examine my life, I see how small and lowly I truly am. When I forget this reality, that is when I am in the greatest danger of truly failing. The moment I trust too much in myself is the moment I am most likely to stumble.

But when I remember that my strength is not my own, that every good thing I have is a gift from God, then I can face whatever comes—not because I am strong, but because He is. And that is more than enough.

This realization doesn’t mean we should live in fear or doubt ourselves entirely, but rather, it calls us to a deeper reliance on God. When we acknowledge our weakness, we create space for His strength to work through us. That is the paradox of grace—our insufficiency becomes the very vessel through which His power is made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9).

So perhaps the real test is not whether I am strong or weak, cowardly or brave, but whether I am willing to surrender my self-reliance and trust in the One who will never fail me. If I can do that, then whatever trials come, I will not stand alone. And that is true courage.