Testing The Heart

Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

Mandy had good friends in elementary school, but when she transitioned to middle school, it felt like starting over. All of the students were placed into five different teams, and the only people Mandy knew on her team were boys she’d been friends with in elementary school. All of the girls were strangers.

Even though she wanted to make friends with the girls, she’d often hear them whispering about her and talking about how she was only friends with boys. Feeling excluded, Mandy decided it was easier to stay with her current friends than to try to make any new ones.

One day, a girl sat down next to Mandy in choir, tucking her feet underneath the chair. Catching Mandy’s eye, she smiled. “Hi, I’m Chelsi,” she said, tilting toward her. Her voice was open and friendly, and Mandy felt herself relaxing as they talked about the class teacher and assignments.

Within a few weeks, Chelsi mentioned that she’d love to hang out together, but Mandy was suspicious. She was worried that Chelsi only wanted to be friends with her in order to meet her guy friends. Mandy decided to give it time. If Chelsi seemed to truly enjoy her company, without bringing up the guy friends, Mandy would know Chelsi truly did want to be her friend.

As time passed, Mandy and Chelsi’s circle of friends started to overlap, and the two girls developed a friendship that lasted many years.

When we’ve been hurt in the past or felt excluded, it can be hard to trust other people. We may wonder about someone else’s motives or question how genuine their offer of friendship may be. But Proverbs reminds us that while fire tests and refines items like silver and gold, God tests people’s hearts. Our willingness to open ourselves up to others and test their hearts (by observing how they treat other people) will ultimately give us the wisdom we need to determine if someone is truly a good friend or not.

Things to Think About

• What does it mean to “test” another person’s heart? How can you apply that idea to friendship?
• What are some ways we can begin to trust others again after we have been hurt?

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Think of the person who has been your friend the longest. Send them a note or message to thank them for standing the test of time.