Does God Test Us?

God does not test anyone. It is a belief that is deeply entrenched in Abrahamic faiths. 

In Abrahamic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the idea of God testing individuals' faith and actions is indeed a well-known and discussed concept. For example, the story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son (Isaac or Ishmael, depending on the tradition) is seen as a test of faith in these religions.

In spite of its genesis in the occidental religions, it has widely been believed, propagated and accepted as truism by a multitude of Hindus, devout spiritualists, sadhaks and spiritual people who attest to the existence of God. Of course, ironically, even renowned Gurus, mahatmas and enlightened masters have said that "God tests devotees" and "God is testing you through your pain" in their satsangs, discourses and books.

In light of what has been said in the first sentence, does it connote that the jivanmuktas, gurujis and sagacious saints and divine souls referred to in the foregoing paragraph are erroneous? A simple answer is, of course, "No", but it requires some explanations to understand the deeper import of their esoteric pronouncement in regard to our pain and trouble.

The mere fact that they are spiritual masters and enlightened, their status makes them incapable of perpetrating any errors, however venial and nugatory they are. They are stellar, and their wisdom is sterling for mistakes of any types to exist at any level. No wonder that they are called the perfect ones: perfection leaves no room for imperfection.

God does not test anyone, let alone witness their suffering owing to any test, regardless of how noble the outcome might seem. When ordinary people say that "God tests us" or "God puts us through trials and adversities to test us", they genuinely believe these statements because they cannot make sense of their tribulations compared to their so-called spiritual "attainment", spiritual fervour, scriptural knowledge and "devotion". Some of these people fervently trust that they are, may be not an apotheosis of piousness but, good enough to be termed "religious" and "spiritual" to be immune to and protected from all forms of harm and the known three miseries of life. They are in error, of course.

On the other hand, when mahatmas say that "God tests you", it is more for our comfort than to discourage us in any way, and to motivate us to look at the problems with sanguine hopes. When one hears in a satsang that one suffers despite one's devotion and piety chiefly because "God is testing us", one derives immense comfort from the belief that one is worthy in the eyes of God to undergo such tests. There is the pride that is one is good enough to be put through the crucible of tests.

If one is actually told by the same mahatmas that one suffers heartaches, misery, pain, tortures, and agony mainly in consequence of one's karma, which God has allowed to confront one, one who is given to misapprehension of one's piety, is bound to feel disconcerted, confused and even depressed. One will, in such an instance, query, "how much more spiritual should I be or become before I am shielded from my karma. I thought my present level of spirituality is copacetic."

From the repetitively mentioned question, "Why good people suffer?", we can deduce that the questioner is not prepared to accept, much less "realise", that he is not good enough to be called "a good person."

If we seriously examine such a devotee's or spiritual person's position, we will discover that there are inherent verities in their experience: one, the person who is allowed to to confront his karma is good enough for cleansing, and perhaps for the cessations of his transmigrations that God wants to wash him off his karmic barnacles to prepare him for the next level of evolution.  

Collaterally, it could simply be that it is not God who has released Sanchita karma bag slowly for the person to experience pain, rather it is the person himself who is facing his karmas that are ripe to visit him. 

Whichever the situation is, God has no part in one's experience of pain, misery and even happiness. God does not participate in the expiation of our sins, least of all test us to see how we fare in or respond to wretchedness, distress, desolation and trials. 

God is but a witness (Sakshi) to the activities of the world; He is the Supreme Being or the Supersoul, who is a witness to all actions and events in the world. But He does not participate testing us. The following scriptural evidence prove this assertion:  

Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 13, Verse 23):

"Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul."

This verse speaks to the presence of the Supersoul (Paramatma) as a witness within every living being.

Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 7, Verse 21):

"I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship some demigod, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to that particular deity."

This verse highlights God's presence as the Supersoul within every heart.

Svetasvatara Upanishad (Chapter 6, Verse 11):

"He is the one God, hidden in all beings, all-pervading, the Self within all beings, watching over all works, dwelling in all beings, the witness, the perceiver, the only one, free from qualities."

This verse speaks to God as the hidden witness within all beings.