With regards to Avraham's ten tests, there is a machlokes how to count them. Some say the first test was לך לך, leaving his homeland to come to Eretz Yisrael. Others say the first test was when Avraham chose to be thrown into the furnace at Ur Kasdim rather than to bow down to idols.
The test of Ur Kasdim is mentioned very briefly in the Chumash. All we have are the words (15:7), כשדים מאור הוצאתיך אשר 'ה אני, "I am Hashem who saved you from Ur Kasdim..." We wonder (according to one view) why Ur Kasdim isn't among the ten tests and why the story of Ur Kasdim isn't discussed more in the Torah. It seems like a much greater test than לך לך.
People answer that לך לך was actually a greater test, and this is the proof: The Noam Elimelech (Tzetel Katan) writes, "Every moment you aren't studying Torah, especially when you are sitting idle in your room or lying on your bed, and you can't fall asleep, be diligent to think about the mitzvah (Vayikra 22:32), ישראל בני בתוך ונקדשתי, to sanctify Hashem's name. Imagine a large fire is before you, burning up to the heaven, and you go against your nature, and for Hashem's sake, you throw yourself into the fire al kiddush Hashem. Hashem considers a good thought like a deed. So, with this thought, you aren't lying idly, rather you performed a mitzvah of the Torah."
At night, one may be thinking about being moser nefesh for Hashem. And then the morning comes, the alarm clock rings, לך לך, get up and serve Hashem, but he pushes the snooze button, and falls back asleep. So, it seems that לך לך is a harder test to do than to be moser nefesh for Hashem.
This is said צחות בדרך, but the message is very true. It is easier for people to be servants of Hashem in theory than in action. In theory, people are ready to be very holy, they can imagine themselves being moser nefesh for Hashem, which is what they truly want. But the challenge is to translate that devotion into actions. Are you prepared to do something? Are you ready to put your actions where your heart is calling you? Taking action is the hardest step.
A group of Lubavicher chassidim in communist Russia gathered for a farbrengen to sing songs to Hashem and discuss chassidus. The mashpiah (leader) at this farbrengen was Reb Chat'she, the gabai of the Rayatz (Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitz) zt'l. During the communism era, such gatherings were dangerous, and the participants were at risk of being exiled to Siberia. A bachur stood guard outside to make sure that police and informers didn't come. Once, the bachur rushed in and said that there was someone suspicious outside. The men immediately hid their sefarim and took out newspapers, vodka, and cake to make it appear that they are just talking and spending time together. Some of the men escaped through the back door or through a window to save their lives. Soon afterward, the bachur returned and said that the coast was clear. The men immediately took out the holy sefarim, and resumed their studies.
Reb Chat'she told them, "Just a moment before, we were all doing deeds. The realization that our lives were at risk caused one to grab the newspaper, another to jump out of the window, a third to bring cake and drinks. Everyone was active. We should do the same when we study chassidus. The exalted ideas should lead us to improve our tefillos, to perform chesed, etc. It shouldn't remain in theory alone." But that's always the hardest part, to translate yearning into action.
There's a Lubavicher song, שלאפן זיך עסט עסן 'ס ...נישט זיך לערענט 'ס אז טוהן מען זאל וואס זיך שלאפט נישט זיך דאוונט, "We are able to sleep, we are able to eat. But what should we do if we can't learn? What should we do if we can't daven." The song expresses the longing of a Yid who desires to daven with kavanah and learn properly, but he isn't successful.
A wise person asked, what would be if it were the opposite? He can daven, he can learn, but isn't able to sleep and eat properly. Would he also sing a song about it, or would he do something about it? He would run to doctors, take medication, exercise, and do whatever he can to be healthy, so he could sleep and eat.
When something is related to the body, there is a small step between the theoretical and the actual. One is prepared to act upon what he knows he should do. However, when it comes to spirituality, we can know what we should do, study about it, and then do nothing at all.
Reb Shlomo Wolbe zt’l spoke about people learning hilchos tzedakah, and then a poor person arrives and asks for tzedakah. They might respond, "Sorry. We're learning now. Come back later." Similarly, Reb Avigdor Miller zt’l said that he once saw a yeshiva bachur studying the Gemara, which discusses the gravity of theft, and he was using a Gemara that was taken without permission from his beis medresh!
May we merit to actualize our desires and put into practice what we know we should be doing.
