Your Destiny 2

Last week we talked about our destiny in Christ and examined the scriptures that declare God was involved in our formation and our design at conception, because he had already written our destiny before we were ever born.  By personal experience and the experience of many others I have known, your life is much more fruitful, purposeful, and fulfilling when you are walking in your destiny or your “calling.” Your destiny is the opportunities for you to serve and bear fruit that God has ordained for you long before you came into existence.  According to Paul you have been placed in the body of Christ exactly where God wants you and your destiny is an integral part of that body working to its full capacity. If you are not living out your calling, something is missing in the body of Christ.

Of course, when the opportunity presents itself, you can say “yes” or “no” to engaging with God in that moment. Sometimes we say no because we don’t recognize the opportunity is from God or because we feel unqualified to step into the opportunity.  Sometimes, we recognize it is from God but want to pursue something else we believe will provide us more satisfaction, income, or significance.  In that case, we may be laying up treasure on earth, but not so much in heaven.  Jesus counsels just the opposite.

But if you do want to fulfill your destiny, the question then becomes, “How do I know what my destiny is?” or “How do I know what the will of God is for my life?”  Another way that question is expressed is, “How do I know what God’s call is on my life?”

Let’s begin by saying that God has called each of us to fulfill his predetermined purposes for our lives.  Sometimes we think only pastors, prophets, or missionaries have received a call from God.  That is not true.  Every believer has received a call because he wants the body of Christ to influence every part of society.  He wants believers to be influencers in finance, education, sports, entertainment, the arts, business, medicine, the military and, yes, even in politics or on social media.  Jesus said the kingdom is like yeast that works through the entire loaf.  We are to be the leaven of God that spreads through the entirety of society (Mt. 13:33). 

God determined our individual purpose before we were ever created.  Consequently, at conception he began to craft each of us with a temperament or personality that would help us best achieve our assigned purpose. Along with that, he added natural talents and, after coming to Christ, he added spiritual gifts.  He also added opportunities that would better equip us for our calling.  He even allows us to endure some painful things that he will also use to shape us.  He didn’t cause the unpleasant things but he will use them.  Each of those elements hint at our calling. As we said last week, one of the goals of a parent should be to help their child discover their calling and fulfill it. 

Parents who want their children to follow in their steps are not always in step with God. For instance, a father who wants his child to be the athlete he was or wanted to be and who keeps pushing his child in that direction, may be opposing the life God has determined for that son or daughter. He may also be setting his child up for failure if God has not called them or gifted them to be an athlete.   Even if a son or daughter works hard enough to excel in some sport or other area of life in order to please a parent, they may develop the skills but never have an enduring passion or love for the thing they are pursuing because it is the parent’s vision for their life, not God’s vision.

When I began college, I started out as an engineering major because that was where the best jobs were going to be and my closest friends were majoring in that.  I thought it would also please my father.  However, after three semesters of calculus, I began to question my direction.  I even questioned whether I was college material because I was finding calculus and chemistry so difficult. I had made reasonably good grades in high school and assumed I would do the same in college. I failed my very first college course along with most of the other students in that class.  I had never come close to failing a class in school so some real discouragement and doubt  set in.

Eventually, I changed majors to the social sciences – political science, sociology, philosophy, psychology, etc.  Not only did those classes make perfect sense to me, but I actually enjoyed them.  That led eventually to ministry.  I discovered what I was “wired” to do and found it to be fulfilling.  In that process, I found my purpose and calling from God.  I probably could have kept battling and earned an engineering degree, but I would have never been great at it or fulfilled.  Finding your God-assigned lane to run in is one of the keys to a fruitful and fulfilled life. You know you have found it when you really can’t see yourself doing anything else.

Now let’s tie this together.  As a child we should typically try many things.   Parents should encourage them to do so.  Sports, art, drama, math, robotics, drama, creative writing, medicine, leadership, etc.  What does the child enjoy and have natural aptitudes for? I agree that if he/she starts something and doesn’t like it or “get it,” they should probably stick out the season or the class to learn to finish what they start.  But don’t force them back into something because you were good at it. What classes at school do they seem to do best in? What qualities do you see in them - mercy, leadership, spokesmanship (they talk too much), creativity, organization, etc.  Ask their teachers. You should take note of those things and communicate them to your child finding opportunities for them to develop what they seem to have natural inclinations for.

As an adult, you need to look back at your youth for those same things or look at the things you were drawn to that your parents, perhaps, discouraged.  Did you have some dreams you never got to pursue?  Were you drawn to some things that were just not doable or practical at the time?  Those may have been desires the Holy Spirit put on your heart as he attempted to lead you into your destiny.  You may want to pursue those now.  As a believer, the Holy Spirit has also added spiritual gifts that bear fruit in the spiritual realm.  Spoiler alert!  What you are good at in the natural realm is not necessarily your spiritual gift, although God may anoint it to be so.

Then ask yourself…

What do I desire to do or what do I have a heart for?

What do I find fulfilling when I do it?

What direction does the Holy Spirit keep pointing me in?

What do I seem to have some ability in that others notice?

What do you do that others say blessed them or made a difference in their life?

Then pray for the Holy Spirit to begin to reveal to you your gifts and wiring and how can you use them for the Lord.  That will not always be inside the walls of your church.  Ask others what they see. Many times, everyone in room knows what your gifts and strengths are but you.

Consider your current career or ministry involvement.  Do you sense you are bearing any spiritual fruit there or find it fulfilling.  If not, ask God to give you some direction to find the place he has ordained for you.  The change isn’t always instantaneous, so be patient but prayerful.

There are also spiritual gifts tests and temperament tests online that can suggest what you are designed for and what gifts you have.  These are not definitive, but can confirm what you have already been thinking and can point you in a direction you may need to pursue. Also be aware that many times you actually have a gift, but it needs to be developed.  If so, find mature believers that clearly have the gift you sense you possess and ask them to help you grow in the gift that they have already developed.

The last caution I would give you, is to identify the gift you have and not the gifts you want. Check your motives for the gift you want or hope you have.  If you want the gift for self-promotion or to feel significant rather than to serve God, you probably will not receive it.  It is biblical to ask for spiritual gifts and opportunities to serve, just be honest in discerning whether the desire is from God or your personal ambitions.

In summary, know that God has actually established a destiny for you from the beginning of time. When you have found it. you will be fruitful and fulfilled. It may not pay as much in this life as other choices, but as an eternal investment it will pay dividends forever.