I’m very thankful for having had the opportunity to teach my kids how to ride their bikes. Those are memories we look back on fondly. However, what if rather than taking an encouraging approach, I had chosen a frustrated and ridiculing one? Both my kids may have never learned how to ride and if they did, it definitely wouldn’t have been a joyful and celebratory experience. Likewise, our Heavenly Father seeks to teach and develop us not in demeaning ways, but in ways filled with love and grace:

Direction: God desires to set the best direction for our life and when we allow Him to do so, He makes our steps secure (Psalm 25:12). Clearly, we’ll continue to face obstacles, but they are there intentionally in order to strengthen our faith, build our trust and promote our reliance on Him.

Deliverance: Through Christ, the shackles of sin that once entangled us are broken and we are empowered to walk confidently in our new freedom. For as His children, we are delivered from past strongholds and no mountain of temptation is too great to overcome when we reach out to His loving hands (Galatians 5:1).

Development: God promotes our spiritual maturity so that we will be more than “place holders” in this life (Titus 3:14). We may be saved, but once saved, we’re called to make impact for the Kingdom and to be “proactive helpers” in spreading the good news Christ offers.

Application: “Placed With Purpose” – Romans 9:17
We are all created with intentionality and purpose – no one is an accident and falls outside of God’s providence. Therefore, we can be confident knowing that the people we meet, the places we go and the positions we hold are not based on luck, or coincidence. Rather, they are opportunities God prepares for us in order to deepen our faith and demonstrate His glory so that all may be without a reason to ever be separated from His love unknowingly.