Finding Your Destiny: Personal Development for Christians

Finding Your Destiny: Personal Development for Christians
By Doug Addison

So many people today are searching for the purpose for which they were created. A desire for purpose is rooted in our human nature. Too often many of us try to fill this with things like careers, status, cars, or the perfect relationship or family. None of these are bad, in and of themselves. However, they will not bring true fulfillment in life. Our purpose and destiny can ultimately only be filled through the good news of God’s love.

Jesus summed up the entire good news message in three verses. Matthew 4:19, He said, “Come, follow me…” Following Jesus in all that we do is the first place to start in finding your destiny.

In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. ” We must love God, love other people, and love ourselves.

Finally, in Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus said, “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” In other words, help other people and in doing so we end up making the world a better place.

You cannot go wrong if you build your life on this foundation. I like to think of finding your life purpose or destiny as being similar to a “connect the dots” drawing. At any given time your goal is to go to the next dot. Too often we want to rush ahead and we miss all the necessary growing opportunities that God has for us. Destiny reveals itself over time and the more we pursue it, the clearer it becomes.

In order to find your destiny it helps to understand that we all have been uniquely created by God and we all have a purpose. The Apostle Paul refers to Christians as being “a body made up of separate parts” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). We need to find our unique function and fit in life. Our purpose is intended to be fulfilled in who we are in God. We must allow God to renew our mind and our life through His Spirit in order to fulfill our purpose among other Christians. Being in relationship and community with others is essential to our growth.

When I first became a Christian I felt strongly that my destiny involved being in full-time ministry. The problem with this is that only 2% of all Christians can actually fill paid ministry positions. I realized later, that in God’s eyes, we are all ministers and we are all in full-time ministry!

Maybe you are wondering what your destiny is? Jeremiah 29:11 might help. “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.” God has nothing but good intentions for us all. He wants us to succeed.

What we do and how we act on a daily basis is what builds the foundation that will take us to our ultimate purpose in life. It will help to realize that your destiny is shaped by what you do in your day-to-day life. Here are a few essential destiny builders that we can all practice on a daily basis:

– Recognize and eliminate unhealthy habits. This may be a lifelong process but we all need to be motivated by God’s Spirit and not our own desires.

– Develop good new habits. We can refocus our lives and renew ourselves by spending regular time reading the Bible and praying. We all know this but doing it takes effort. God wants to give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). That happens after our heart is in line with His.

– Be generous. Be a giver. This is not just about money, although giving money shows where your heart is. Give your time, energy, affection, focus and attention to all that you do.

– Be grateful. A grateful spirit will attract blessing. Whatever you sow you will reap. If we are not grateful then we will not recognize a blessing when it comes.

– Learn to love. How we treat other people reflects our character. Godly character is required for all of us. How we love other people is most likely how we love God. Remember that love covers over a multitude of sins, love conquers all, and love never fails!

– Discover the “breakthrough lifestyle”. Find things that you are putting off and do them. Small simple tasks done daily or weekly towards what you feel called to do may not look like much when we do them but they build over time. A small degree of change or accomplishment done consistently will result in massive results after six weeks. Imagine all that growth stacking up after six months or even a year and it can be done with a minimal amount of effort.

Finding and fulfilling your destiny is not as hard as one might think. Build your life on a firm foundation that will allow you to accomplish all that God has in mind for you. Believe that you can do it! Look for things that ignite passion within you. Take small steps consistently. Find someone who is doing what you want to do and study what they have learned. Do something today like read a book, do internet research, make a phone call, sign up for a class, or get some practical training. It is never too late.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”