There are many definitions of the word “destiny”. What a person believes about life, death, and eternity determines their beliefs about destiny. If a person doesn’t believe in an afterlife, then they may think that destiny starts and ends on earth. I think that this leads to “living life to the fullest” with no regard of consequences in eternity. Some believe in reincarnation, or that hell doesn’t exist; some believe that this life is the only hell that’ll exist. I believe that the Bible tells us everything we need to know about reaching destiny. Unfortunately, there are many believers in Jesus that have the wrong concept of what destiny is. Our destiny is intimately connected to fulfilling our God given purpose (see It’s Time to Grow up and find your purpose! for more on Purpose). It’s highly important to have the correct understanding about destiny and how to achieve it, because we don’t want to go through life aiming for something that isn’t apart of God’s plan. Anything outside of his plan will not stand the test of time and will lead to a life of wasted time, energy, and effort… So let’s discuss five myths about destiny:
- Your Destiny is Going to Make You Rich
I’m sorry to break the news, but our destiny is not a get rich scheme, so let’s number this myth numero uno and get it out of the way. Many people, especially people who cleave to the wrong idea of “prosperity,” believe that achieving their destiny will leave them with a gazillion dollars in the bank. I believe that it could very well end up that way, but money shouldn’t be our motivation. Our perfect destiny comes from God and he’s not interested in giving us wealth simply for the sake of making us rich.
Everything God does has purpose and is strategic in his overall plan of eternal reconciliation of man and God. Earthly riches are temporary, so don’t be tricked into thinking that wealth is a sign that you’ve achieved your destiny. In fact, the Bible is filled with warnings about people who have a heart for riches, rather a heart for an intimate relationship with God.
- Your Destiny is All About You
Your destiny is really not about you. Destiny is more about what God can do through us to implement his plans in the earth. Of course, we’ll be blessed, we’ll have peace and power, and all of that good stuff, but the main cause of our destiny is LOVE. It’s not about making us happy in reaching our dream life and helping us scratch off all the items on our bucket lists.
One of the number one reasons for unanswered prayer is asking amidst of God’s perfect will which includes having the wrong motivations for prayer. Our journey toward destiny should be about seeking God’s face, not his hand. The Bible tells us to seek the Kingdom of Heaven first and all his righteousness and then he’ll allow us the desires of our hearts. Destiny should be about living to glorify God, not the glorification of ourselves.
- When You Reach Destiny on Earth, You’ve Obtained the Perfect Life.
Destiny does not mean having a perfect life. It’s a life perfectly planned by God. Think about the lives of Jesus, David, Job, Paul, Easter, John the Baptist, Stephen and so many others in the Bible. Can we describe their lives as perfect? No, their lives were full of battles with sin, loss, conflict, family issues, and etc. We could literally have a reality show with all the drama in the Bible. But through it all, God got what he wanted out of their lives. He got the glory, they reached their expected end in God, and we have their examples to learn from today. Let’s not get caught up in fairy tale expectations of what life should be like. Yes, in this life we’ll experience heaven on earth, we’ll witness miracles, signs and wonders, but don’t think for once that this life will be easy and free from adversity. The wonderful thing we get to experience going through this life is learning more about our intriguing God who is Sovereign and can guide us through the process until we reach eternity. Then and only then will our experience be even better than the fairy tales that we can imagine with our little minds.
- You have to wait for God to bless you with your destiny.
We will not reach our destiny simply waiting for God to open the windows of heaven and pour us out a blessing. By faith we have to work toward the direction He’s given us in order to mature and grow in character so that we can be promoted by God to expand our rule on the earth.
Our cycle of action should be pray, listen, work, and reflect.
- Pray for God’s perfect will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven
- Listen for inspiration from God on actions we should take in our lives that will impact the various roles we play in our family, ministry, and community. Listen to what gaps God may be preparing for us to fill in the body of Christ. Listen to what God reveals on the strategies of the enemy. Listen to what God is trying to do through his people as a whole.
- Take what we’ve heard God speak to us and work diligently and prayerfully on ourselves, on our roles in our families, ministries, and in our communities.
- Reflect – Do a SWOT analysis: access strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats both spiritually and naturally and then start the cycle again. Pray, Listen, Work, Reflect
This cycle will keep us on the path of consistent growth.
Writing is an excellent way to engage in intimacy with God. To gauge progress and spiritual growth, write detailed prayers in a prayer journal. Write all things that you’re seeking God for concerning your purpose and destiny; write what you’ve heard God speak to you; write details of the works you’re embarking on, along with reflections that follow.
Recording all this develops intimacy with God, your ability to hear from God increases, and your faith in action becomes ever more evident. You become more experienced in the things of God. As you grow in consistently engaging with God, you mature into a noble, devoted servant/steward for his kingdom.
If you feel like you’ve become stagnant, access whether sin is in your life. Go through a spiritual cleansing by repenting, fasting, and meditating on the Word of God. God is faithful to meet you where you are to forgive you.
- You have to beg God for your Destiny.
We don’t have to beg God for our destiny. We simply receive our inheritance as we become spiritually ready to handle it with maturity. Faithfully connecting intimately with Jesus Christ moves him to endow us with purpose, vision, and direction. The nature of Jesus Christ in us develops and we become skillful in fulfilling our purpose, following directions from Heaven, and breaking down the vision that he’s given us into workable pieces. Our realm of influence naturally/divinely expands and God grants favor, opens doors of opportunity, refines our character, and he allows tests to sharpen us. We walk into our destiny day by day and grow richer in his glory.
This is some exciting stuff!! I’m getting happy writing about it J Drop a comment and share your reflections on the myths and truths of the concept of destiny. I would love to hear your two cents.
