God is more interested in developing our character

There have been many times when I thought God was opening up doors for me to exit out of my current situation and move on to another phase of my life but it was not so. There have also been many occasions when I thought God was ready to bless me abundantly but it was not so too.

Proverbs 16:1, “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.”

Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.”

Isaiah 43:19, “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

As I stand on the above Word of God and wait upon God to navigate me through my life, it came to a point whereby I was no longer overly excited about new business opportunities that come along my way or extremely happy when I clinch a deal. I became indifferent to a certain extent.
And when things do not turn out well, I will encourage myself with the following scriptures:

Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

From the life of Paul, we are able to see that serving God is Paul’s passion and focus in whatever situations God presented to him. My personal opinion is Paul must have experienced many times when he thought God was going to bring him out of his hardship but it turned out to be otherwise. Eventually he was fully persuaded that while good and bad things happen to him, Jesus is still there for him. That is why Paul was able to write in Philippians 4:11-12.

Philippians 4:11-12, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

Similarly Joseph being given the promise by God to rule over his brothers ended up being sold as a slave. Nevertheless, there were many occasions whereby he must have thought God would bring him out of his captivity but it turned out otherwise. He was made to oversee his master’s household only to find himself jailed over a false accusation. Subsequently he interpreted the dream of a royalty while in prison, with the hope of being released, only to find himself being forgotten and continuing to stay in prison for a couple more years. However eventually he was promoted overnight to be the right hand man of the pharaoh. At that point in time, I believe Joseph must have been happy that God delivered him. However I also believed that God has molded his character to an extent that he was cool and not overly hyped up about his latest promotion. He would be a good testimony to what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-12, “for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:”

We create plans for our personal life eg getting a good job, getting married, having children, getting a bigger house etc. While we are charting the way we hope it will turn out and desiring God to lead us the way we want it, it dawned on me one day during worship that God was more interested in developing our character. He is more interested in planning and charting the way we can develop our character.

Therefore while we anticipate the way God will open up doors for us to meet our needs, I believe we need to look into our heart and see if God is trying to use the present opportunity to develop our character or attitude towards certain matter or person.
This is especially true when we are faced with difficult situations.

Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Steve