In TPM, Qui-Gon announces he is taking Anakin on as his Padawan learner.
Yoda reminds Qui-Gon that he already has an apprentice and cannot take on another. Qui-Gon declares that Obi-Wan is ready for the Jedi trials. Obi-Wan immediately states, "I am ready to face the trials."
This is the first we see of how a Jedi would go through trials to progress from a Padawan to a Jedi.
While Christians go from a non-believer to a believer in Christ with a confession of faith, believers grow deeper in their faith when they face trials.
In James 1:2-4, believers are told to "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Christians face trials and challenges so they can "advance" in their walk with Christ, lacking in nothing.
The Christian faith does not have levels of faith and advancement, but there are levels of maturity.
When we first believe, we must learn more about Jesus and how to walk in the faith. One excellent way is to be mentored by someone further along in the faith. We see Paul acting as a mentor for Timothy.
As we grow in our faith, we may be given more responsibility based on what we have learned and who we have become.
One of the qualifications listed for a deacon in 1 Timothy 3:6 is that "he must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil."
We need not fear trials. They are times we need to lean on God.
