In my last blog post, I shared the importance of decisions in conjunction with determining God’s will for our life. But is this the right question? Am I restricting my thinking by asking God this enormous question: “God, what is your will for my life?” Or is the right question, “God, what is your purpose for my life?”

I believe asking the right question will lead us to the answer of knowing God’s will. We will also discover our silent weapon provided by God for our use if we only use it! Sound confusing? Let us begin our journey in discovering the silent weapon God has given us.

Once we become God’s child, saved through the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, what is God most interested in after our salvation? What is His plan?

 

Why do we encounter trials, persecution, rejection, and the list goes on? What is God doing anyway? Did He not tell us in John 10:10 that His purpose in coming was to give us a rich and satisfying life – in abundance, full until it overflows?

Romans 8:29 tells us that God plans to conform us to the image of His Son – someone with the character of Jesus. (You might want to check out 1 Peter 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Colossians 1: 9-10; Ephesians 5: 15-17)

So what does God use to build our character? When asked this question, my first response is that He uses trials, tribulations, difficulties – translated circumstances. We know this is true from passages such as James 1: 2-3; 1 Peter 1: 6-7. God unquestionably uses trials to grow our faith, to build our character.

We also know that we experience trials and difficulties because of our own foolishness (Galatians 6:7-9) and because it is God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:6).

But is my thinking restricted – not incorrect, just limited? Consider this possibility: God’s primary tool for building the character of His Son in us is

DECISION MAKING

Have you ever wished that you could open your Bible and find a chapter and verse that would say when buying a home, do this? Or you want to know what college or tech school to attend or what job to accept, do this. And here is a big one – indeed, He could have included a section entitled, “finding your spouse”!

Instead, Scripture tells us about God’s character;

He shows us His heart.

As we fellowship with Him, we can truly hear His heartbeat;

 

 

 

 

 

 

follow His footsteps!

 

Think about how many decisions you make in one day from what time to get up, what to wear, what to eat, what to do, which book to read, what to do in your free time, and the list goes on and on. Every single decision we make evolves into another decision and another.

Our character is shaped through the decisions that we make – both large and small. Because this is God’s character-forming tool, we no longer have to be afraid to fail. No longer the what if’s loom over our head. We begin to understand with each decision, we are given a new opportunity to look for God’s door of blessing – a new adventure where He is already present. Viewing decisions with this perspective helps me to realize perfection is no longer necessary – never demanded by God.

God has given us a silent weapon to enable us to make decisions. And what is that weapon?

WISDOM

What is wisdom? How would you define wisdom? My first answer would be to quote Proverbs 9:10, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Have you ever read through Psalm and Proverbs and noticed how often the word ‘wisdom’ used?

As defined by Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, “wisdom is the correct use or exercise of knowledge, the choice of worthy possibilities, and the best means to accomplish them. It is discerning or judging what is most just, proper, and beneficial. It is the exercise of sound judgment either in avoiding evils or attempting good”.

From my Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: “wisdom is the divine perspective available to and applied by believers to the issues of their lives. It is taking the knowledge that we have and treating it with spiritual wisdom and insight so that we live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way (Colossians 1:10). Both the Old and New Testament make it clear that only when our life is oriented to God and His revealed viewpoint is applied to our daily experience can we become wise”.

Thus, wisdom gained by experience is of immeasurable value. And how do we gain experience apart from making decisions – hundreds of decisions every single day.

Consider this as a new principle for your daily life: “God’s will for your life is ‘You Decide.’ Often when we pray for guidance and direction, God’s answer is, “You decide. All your options are within My character and My heart. You decide.” God knows that we will grow more by deciding than by getting a memo from heaven telling us exactly which open door to choose from the many doors available to us.

Decision-making can be not only fearful, but it can be tiring as well. We want the freedom to choose, but we dread making a mistake that could wreck our lives. We dislike the pressure of responsibility—the possibility of being wrong. Decisions wear us out!

But what happens when we make a mistake?

What does God do next?

Does He give up on us?

                                         NEVER!

God forgives and recalculates our route – kind of like my GPS when I make a wrong turn – recalculating! Accept this reality: It is not if I make a terrible decision. Instead, it is about when I make a terrible decision. As soon as I accept my responsibility and own up to my wrong choice, God will recalculate my route and put me back on His journey of character building. (Proverbs 24:16; 2 Corinthians 4: 9, 16-18; Psalm 34:7)

Wisdom is like a river.

A river’s power is its ability to adapt to its environment and change its course when necessary to reach its intended destination. By pondering the river’s flow, we see that it is not always a straight path that leads me to where I want to go. Whether the river is broad or narrow, no matter how many zigs and zags it may make, it is always moving towards its intended destination.

And what is our destination – our purpose? God is conforming us to the image of His Son, building His character within us – accomplished through our daily choices.

Wisdom is not gained in a moment but in an endless number of moments when we make choices. Wisdom is the ability to get to the core of a problem. It simplifies, clarifies, untangles, unshackles, illuminates, liberates, enlightens. It always finds a way through the mess that I have made. Likely it will not be the easiest way, but God’s footprints mark the path.

How do I apply the knowledge I have gained through studying Scripture, God’s character, His heart? By making countless daily choices.