Destiny and the Will of God

This was a blessing to me today and I wanted to share it with those I love.........Susan

What does it mean to fulfill our destiny? Some define destiny as our future place in heaven; others define destiny as discovering our present purpose on earth. It is common to think of fulfilling our destiny as “reaching our full potential” or “being all that we can be.” It is common to hear people say, “We must dare to dream big and accomplish our goals.” This sounds very noble, but it can be misleading and bring a lot of frustration and disappointment into people’s lives as they pursue self-fulfillment.

The word “destiny” can carry some highly challenging, motivating, and inspiring thoughts within people’s minds. It can also carry some allusions of grandeur. Many want to do big things or great things for God, but not too many want to do the little things or the unnoticed things. It is easy to assume that if people fulfill their destiny they will become important, popular, or influential.

Some teach that our destiny is found when we fulfill certain opportunities God gives to us to achieve greatness. Our destiny is not fulfilled through opportunities God gives to us, but through our relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. No one’s true destiny can be realized without Christ. In 1 Corinthians 8:6, Paul defines our destiny in two distinctive ways—“We exist for Him” and “We exist through Him.” The person who is in Christ is not someone who is looking for opportunities to fulfill his destiny, but someone who has fulfilled his destiny and found His divine purpose (there can’t be a higher one.) Being in Christ means that you are where you need to be, you don’t need to look anywhere else or do anything else to “arrive” at your destined place.

There is a difference between fulfilling our destiny and doing the will of God. While God’s destiny for each of us is the same (to be in Christ), His will for each person can be very different. The will of God may lead some to be in a private place and others to be in a public place; lead some to be rulers and others to be servants in Caesar’s household; lead some into the marketplace and others to be keepers at home; lead some to the mission field and others to a local ministry.

The will of God for each of us is for Him alone to decide. The will of God for one woman may mean traveling around the country speaking at women’s conferences; the will of God for another woman may mean staying at home full time. This does not mean that the woman who travels and speaks has fulfilled her destiny and that the woman who stays at home has missed her destiny. God sent Corrie Ten Boom to speak from pulpits all around the world, and he kept Susanna Wesley at home to raise up boys who would impact the lives of millions.

The Apostle Paul’s destiny in Christ was glorious, but the will of God for Paul’s life did not look very glamorous. Nevertheless, Paul whole-heartedly embraced the will of God regardless of the difficulties or what others thought of him. Here, in his own words, Paul gives us a clear picture of what it cost him to follow the will of God… “For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake…We are weak…we are dishonored… being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now." 1 Corinthians 4:9-13”

Never forget that today, your destiny is not to find some great thing to do, but to know Him, glorify Him, and enjoy Him forever. When you have finished your earthly journey and fulfilled God’s will for your life, whatever it may be, your glorious destiny in Christ will continue on forever.

~meet me in the meadow