One author pens: ‘Would you want the kind of kids you have to tell their whole lives, “Wear these clothes. Take these classes. Go to that school. Apply for this job. Marry that person. Purchase this house,” and you always have them do exactly what you tell them as long as they live? No…Why? Because your main goal is…that they become people of great character and judgment. The only way for them to do that is to make lots and lots of decisions. Of course, that means they’ll make a lot of wrong decisions. That becomes a primary way they learn. Very often God’s will for you will be “I want you to decide,” because decision-making is an indispensable part of character formation. God is primarily in the character-forming business, not the circumstance-shaping business.’ Abraham didn’t say, ‘Lord, exactly where are you taking me? How is the economy there? What are the job market and the housing market like? Do they have good medical facilities and schools?’ The Bible says, ‘By faith…Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going’ (Hebrews 11:8 NLT). Abraham decided to follow God, and trust God with everything else. And he came out on top! God does not promise to give us details but to give us wisdom. ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally’ (James 1:5 KJV). Why does God do it this way? Because decision-making is character building.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.