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Seven
Steps to Destiny
One of the most
challenging tasks facing young adults today is finding their true purpose
in life. So many voices are crying for our attention, and
everyone around us has their own opinion of what goals we should set for
ourselves. The pressure to succeed can be intense, and of course
there's the ever-present concern over finances. Many of us enter the
adult world and are content just to find a job, a spouse, and have some
kids. These are very worthy pursuits, and can be a destiny in
themselves. For instance, some women may feel a calling to be an
awesome wife and mother, and raise children in a godly home. Some
feel called to enter the business world and earn finances with which to
finance the work of God.
But many people get a
gnawing feeling on the inside - a kind of dull ache, and the ever- present
question:
Why am I on this earth? Am I fulfilling my destiny? ...Is this all
there is to life?
Do you want to know for
sure that you're on the path to true fulfillment in life? The answer is
found in KNOWING GOD. Your Creator knows you, and He
made you for a reason.
"For
I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will
listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your
heart.
Jeremiah 29:11,12
The Bible makes it clear
that God has a purpose and destiny for every person. To find
this purpose and plan, however, you must get to know your Creator.
To find out more about how to become a Christian, click
here. Once you've become a Christian, then what? Well, in order
to make this teaching more practical and easy to follow, here are:
Seven
Steps to Destiny
1.
Become a man/woman of prayer, Bible study, and worship
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Prayer
brings intimacy with God. The closer your fellowship with the
Lord, the more you'll sense God's heart and desire for your
life. You are then more receptive to His specific direction
concerning your destiny.
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In
Jeremiah 29:11, God declares His great plans for your life. The next
sentence declares our need for prayer, and that we will find Him when we
seek Him with all of our heart! This scripture is obviously
linking the fulfillment of our God-given purpose to our need for
prayer and deep fellowship with the Lord.
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Daily
prayer, worshipping God and Bible study causes spiritual growth, which
is essential to fulfilling your destiny.
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God
begins putting desires in your heart for His plan for your life as you
seek His face.
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It's
also important to regularly attend church, and fellowship with
the Body of Christ.
2.
Become a person of disciplined obedience. We cannot hope to succeed
in fulfilling our destiny without living a disciplined and obedient
life. We personally have realized that in order to fulfill our
callings in ministry, we have had to make some difficult choices.
Sometimes the Lord asks us to pray and read the Bible when we'd rather be
watching a good movie. We spend hours in preparation before ministry
engagements, when sometimes we'd rather just relax. We have had to make
some sacrifices of money and time. Although living for God is fun
and exciting, we must be willing to meet His challenges by disciplining
our body and mind, and this is not always easy. Paul talks about
this, comparing Christians to well-trained athletes.
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Paul
said, "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict
training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do
it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like
a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the
air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I
have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the
prize." I Corinthians 9:25-27
In
Hebrews 12, we are commanded to throw off everything that hinders us,
whether it be sin or something that holds us back in our walk with
God. It could be an addiction, a bad habit, or an unhealthy
relationship that is slowing us down in our race to destiny. It could be
our unbelief or undisciplined lifestyle. But whatever it is, we are
called to throw it aside!
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"Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw
off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our
faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider
him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not
grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-4
3.
Fulfill your greatest destiny, which is to be a lover and
worshipper of God. Some people get so caught up in finding the
specific destiny for their lives that they miss the most important calling
we will ever have, and a calling that we all have in common! I
believe that if every Christian would fulfill their highest calling, this
world would be totally transformed. The Westminster Catechism says
it well:
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"The
chief end of man is to love God and enjoy Him forever."
Live for God, enjoy Him and revel in His presence. To love,
worship, honor and glorify Him is our awesome calling!
Jesus
was asked, "What is the greatest commandment?" This is what he
said:
Do
these things first, and you'll be well on your way to fulfilling your
destiny in life.
4.
Get to know yourself. Many people make important life
decisions without really stopping to ask themselves: "What do I
really enjoy? What do I want out of life?" Before you
decide your life's path, remember that you are not responsible to follow
your parent's or friends' plan for your life. These are choices only
you can make!
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Become
self-reflective. Take some time to look inward and get to know
yourself.
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Sit
down with a piece of paper and just write down things you like to do,
and things you're passionate about What really turns you on?
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Get
involved in your church and in community service, and see what things
you're gifted at and enjoy. If you're going to college, take some
classes just to expand your horizons. God wants to lead you, but
He wants you to get involved with some things and take some risks.
5.
Become emotionally healthy. Do you find yourself falling into a
cycle of failure in some area of your life - for example, in your work or
relationships? This could signify that you need some emotional
healing. This is an important aspect of succeeding in life, because
emotional hurts and wounds can leave you crippled with fear, and afraid to
take risks of any kind. Here are some ways to get started:
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Christian
counseling
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Teachings
by Joyce Meyer - she has hundreds of teachings on various
aspects of emotional and spiritual maturity, and her testimony is
amazing! Her ministry has really helped us in certain aspects of our
lives and growth. Visit her website at www.jmministries.org
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Some books that
have really helped us: Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend, Changes
that Heal by Cloud, and The
Search for Significance by Mcgee. These can be found in any
Christian bookstore or online.
Through
these processes, you'll begin to see more clearly your destiny. Have
FAITH and believe that God will show you the way! Then...
6.
START DOING IT! As you gain more and more confidence
in God's calling for your life, take steps towards your destiny.
They may be small steps at first, but that's OK. Believe you can
do it, and GO FOR IT!! Also, keep in mind:
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Expect
God to provide for what He has planned for you. For example,
many times the Lord has led us to do a missions outreach, and as we
have stepped out to obey, He has always been faithful to provide the
finances and prayer support. Sometimes God is just waiting for you to
take a step forward, and He will meet you there with everything you
need.
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Be
careful to wait for God's timing and direction as you set out towards
your life's goals.
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Be
sure to keep the other areas of your life in balance - get enough
rest, and take care of your body. Keep in mind that we're in
this race to win, but it is a race of endurance, so you don't
want to burn out from overwork.
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Be
a lifetime student. Study and learn about a variety of subjects,
especially ones related to your destiny.
7.
As Churchill said in a famous speech, "Never give up! Never give
up! Never give up!" You can be sure that you will
face challenges in your quest for God's best. Don't let anything stop
you. The enemy will resist you, and even your friends and family may
not always understand. Many times these scriptures have strengthened
us:
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So do not throw away your
confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere
so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he
has promised. Hebrews 10:35
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Let us not become weary
in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do
not give up. Galatians 6:9
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Consider it pure joy, my
brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know
that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
In
closing, it is our prayer that the Lord will speak to you through this
teaching, and that you will be strengthened in your walk with the Lord.
One
of our Freedom Fighters (volunteers in our prayer ministry) has written an
excellent Bible-based prayer on this subject. We highly recommend
it! Here's the link: A Prayer to
Know and Fulfill God's Will for Our Lives by Abby R.
For
Jesus,
Kurt
and Marla Johnson
We welcome your comments or
questions. Email us at joministries@f2s.com. |
