Testing

John Ball writes:
How many times have we all heard that sorry excuse for lazy agnosticism, 'I'd like to believe, but how can God allow so many horrible things to happen?' That's what they always say, those who wish to remain sunk in egotism.
There is the mirror image - Christians who tell you that God has done such and such for them, as if God never allows horrible things to happen to his people. Well, look at Job! Look at Jesus Christ himself. They tell you that God has a plan for us - well, if includes martyrdom, mutilation or brain damage I'd rather not know, thank you very much.
The third temptation when the devil taunted Jesus in the wilderness went along these lines; do something selfish, self centred, stupid and destructive and God will make sure that no harm will come to you.
This is the third temptation; after material well being, then power, we have the idolatry of the self.
It is the easiest of all the temptations to slip into, to believe that God is here to do our will, that the purpose of God is man, that the Creator must serve his creation.
But worship is the antithesis of self. Though we express our love for God through service  to others, serving people is not the purpose of God.