5 Tests of an Overcomer

This marks the beginning of a new year on the Jewish calendar (5776), as Rosh Hashanah falls on Sept. 13-15 this year. While nowadays we use the Greco-Roman calendar system, I feel the Jewish calendar has prophetic significance, and I always sense something stirring in the Spirit around this time of year.

Usually coinciding with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), September is also a significant month for me personally: It’s when I married the love of my life, when I was ordained and when I received a prophetic dream to move to LA.

This Jewish New Year is extra special because it is the Year of Jubilee! On the Jewish calendar, years are observed in seven-year cycles, with a sabbatical year on the seventh year. Then at the culmination of every seven cycles (a total of 49 years) comes the 50th year: the Year of Jubilee, when all agricultural work ceased, all land was returned to its original owner and all slaves were released into freedom! (For more information, see Leviticus 25:8-24.)

God wants to unload His immeasurable blessings on you in this new year!

Five Tests of an Overcomer

Everyone has a prophetic destiny and God-given dream that we are called to walk into. But the key is you have to know how to go from your dream to your destiny.

Why is it that certain people reach their destiny while others get stuck in life? If we look at the life of Joseph, we can identify five different tests that you must overcome as you prepare to come into your destiny.

If you want to walk in the fullness of what God is doing, you must partner with His prophetic plan both for the church as a whole and for your own journey of faith.

1. The Pride Test

“Now Joseph dreamed a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more” (Gen. 37:5).

When he was a young man, Joseph received a prophetic dream that showed he was destined for greatness. Yet he lacked wisdom when he shared it with his family.

The truth is that if you can’t handle the vision and call on your life, you will never be able to handle the reality of the destiny. You must overcome pride by choosing humility (1 Pet. 5:5-7).

When you are truly humble, you are secure in who you are. And this security will take you through the pride test every time you go to the next level of favor and responsibility.

2. The Potiphar Test

After Joseph was sold as a slave, an Egyptian officer named Potiphar bought him. Instead of resenting Potiphar, Joseph chose humility and worked in his household:

“His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper. Joseph found favor in his sight and served him. So he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put under his charge” (Gen. 39:3-4).

How well you serve those who are over you is the key to overcoming this test in life. It could be a parent, a boss or a pastor—in any case, you are called to imitate Joseph, who did not work for Potiphar but for God.

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Col. 3:23).

3. The Purity Test

In Genesis 39 the story of Joseph continues as he faced a test that every person has to go through: the purity test.

“Now Joseph was handsome and well-built. After a time, his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused” (Gen. 39:6-8).

Joseph passed the purity test with flying colors. What was his secret? He had the right perspective that was aligned with the fear of the Lord: “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9).

If you want God’s blessing and favor, you must flee from immorality—and run straight to the Lord!

4. The Prison Test

The next phase of Joseph’s journey was another test of character. After being falsely accused of rape, Joseph was sent to the king’s prison (Gen. 39:17-20). There he was sustained by the Lord as he kept his heart from bitterness due to injustice.

To overcome the prison test, you must persevere and hold onto hope that is anchored in God. Perseverance means fighting the battle while you wait. Perseverance produces character (Rom. 5:3-5), and character is the key to supporting your destiny. Deep character comes through deep trials.

5. The Prosperity Test

Finally, through a series of God-orchestrated events, including extraordinary prophetic insight that came through the interpretation of dreams (Gen. 40-41), Joseph came into a place of power and influence as his prophetic destiny unraveled (Gen. 41:38-44).

The final test boils down to how you handle prosperity and favor when it’s given to you. It’s not just about reaching your destiny, but what you do with your destiny. When God prospers you, it’s your responsibility to intentionally give Him all the glory.

Joseph’s story is a tale of trials and testing, but it’s also a testimony of God’s faithfulness to complete the work He started.

God has a dream for you! His thoughts for you are higher than yours, and you are called to greatness in His kingdom!

Reprinted from © The Elijah List. Ché Ahn and his wife, Sue, are the Founding Pastors of HRock Church in Pasadena, California. Ché serves as the Founder and President of Harvest International Ministry (HIM) and the International Chancellor of Wagner Leadership Institute (WLI). With a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, he has played a key role in many strategic outreaches on local, national and international levels. He has written more than a dozen books and travels extensively throughout the world, bringing apostolic insight with an impartation of renewal, healing and evangelism. For more information about HRock, send an email to [email protected].