Similar to our education system, every leader will be asked to pass certain “tests” before there is a promotion to the next level. We have all been in situations where we were given a little to manage and as we proved we could handle the tasks, pressure, budget, timeline, manage the team, etc. we were given more responsibility. For the Christian leader, God provides tests as measures of progress in our character, our trust in Him and our willingness to serve out of love for Him and people. Read Genesis 22:1-18.

God called Abraham to climb Mount Moriah and sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. The very same miracle son he and Sarah had waited their whole lives for. God’s test to see if Abraham was qualified to become the father of the Hebrew people was to make Abraham choose between Him and his beloved son. Only after Abraham passed the test in his heart (and in his attitude) did God provide a replacement sacrifice and spare Isaac. Just a side note – Abraham’s trial foreshadowed what God intended to do with His one and only Son thousands of years later (the replacement sacrifice for each of us).