In school it is easier to take a test if you know it is coming. At least, you have more opportunity to prepare. When a teacher gives the date of a test ahead of time, students often cram a day or two before the test and then hope they can regurgitate the right answers. I’ve been there.
A pop quiz is a little bit more difficult. If a teacher gives a surprise test based on what has already been taught, you’ve had the opportunity to learn the material, but don’t have time to cram ahead of time. A pop quiz highlights the need to stay ready and for us to genuinely know the information. If we genuinely know the information, then taking a test on it at any given point is not much of a problem. Someone could give me a pop quiz on 2 + 2 at any time and I wouldn’t sweat when it was coming because the knowledge that the answer is 4 is so a part of me.
In a lot of ways, the spiritual life is more like a pop quiz than a planned test. We aren’t exactly sure when we are going to need to apply the truths that God has taught us. One day we may unexpectedly need to exercise patience, another day it may be self-control, and then at another unexpected moment, we may need to exercise grace and forgiveness.
God might throw a “pop quiz” our way from time to time because He wants us to be the kind of people who are always Christlike in all situations. Typically, God doesn’t say, “I’m going to allow you to be tested on greed Tuesday, pride on Wednesday, and lust next Thursday”. Instead, trials, tests, and temptations just sort of pop up in our lives daily. We can’t shove all the verses about lying into our minds the day before a circumstance comes our way in which it is very tempting to lie and then hope we pass the test and then move on. That isn’t how it works.
God is more concerned about the person you are genuinely becoming on a whole than He is in you cramming for a test you knew was coming. We aren’t told when such trials and temptations will pop up in our lives, so stay ready. God doesn’t just want you to know the answers for a moment, He wants you to become Christlike for eternity.
“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 (The Message Bible)