What is Your Destiny?

                “What is my destiny?” is a question that has plagued mankind for centuries. In the military, I remember the 3 questions that were proposed during basic training. “Who am I, what am I doing here and where am I going?” These are good questions which each of us needs to ask ourselves. The answers to these questions can be profound yet so simple. For in them is the answer to the question “What is my destiny”.

                To establish a destiny, there must be a master plan. If life has no master plan or purpose, then there is no reason to pursue this subject any farther.  If life does have a master plan, it is the creation of God and not of man. If man did not create or design life, how can man determine his life’s destiny? For we did not create ourselves or “will” that we should be born. We did not choose our family or how we look or how intelligent we are. We had no control over the circumstances into which we were born. We have no control over 95% of everything that happens to us each day. The only thing we control is how we respond to what life has to offer. We have a hard enough time coping with these things as they happen. Various situations can lead us to ask “Why, God why?” We must understand that all of things belong to God whose ways are far beyond anything we can begin to comprehend. He is in control and has His plan for each individual life on this planet.  If God has a master plan for mankind then every person would be born according to His plan. There are no accidents! Each person would be gifted with everything they would need to accomplish the particular destiny for which they were created. But it is up to us to discover and implement our part in God’s master plan.

                What if we do not like the principle of being born for a reason not of our choosing? What if we don’t like the circumstances or feel that life is unfair? If we are born for a purpose not of our choosing, who are we to challenge God’s plan for our lives? We must accept God’s purpose and control before we can move forward in life’s purpose. What if we are called to a specific purpose and we choose not to accept it? Does God then create someone else to fulfill that part of the master plan which we were created to do?  No! We are unique individuals. No one else can do what you were created to do better than you.  If we are created for a specific purpose, and we refuse, then all of humanity suffers because our part of the plan is missing. If everyone was to do what he or she was created to do, then this would be a totally different world. I believe there would be no war, no famine, no disease, no hatred, no poverty and no crime. This would be result of the master plan for life that God had created.

                But because some do not do what they were born to do, the world is filled with pain and sorrow. Man was created to love and help one another. There is no one born to steal, kill or destroy, this only happens when someone refuses to comply with their destiny. People can reject their destiny for various reasons such as rebellion, fear of failure, disillusionment, pride, passing pleasure or an aversion for what they perceive as their destiny. We must come to the point we are willing to accept our destiny, no matter what. But we will find that fulfilling our destiny will always make us happy and give us peace in our heart. Destiny is not always easy and can have many have many trials and tribulations with it. But the outcome of our troubles will eventually be a blessing to everyone involved. So why do so many miss out on the joy and peace of life by failing to do what we were designed for?

                It is often preconceived ideas about what is good or what is important rob many of us calling. We see people like Mother Theresa and the great work she did. She was fulfilling what she was born to do. We think to ourselves: “I can never do that” and give up before we start. This is based on the preconceived idea that we have to sell all we have and move to the slums of India or go to work in a leper colony to find true purpose. This is not necessarily true. In fact, most people will find their destiny is located right where they are living.  God has placed us in the proper time and place to do what we need to do. If we need to be somewhere else, then He will move us.

The first step in discovering our destiny starts in our heart, not by running off to some far away place or suffering for some noble cause. It starts as a spiritual work of attitude. It starts with us accepting and dealing with life right where we are.  We may think that if we would go somewhere else and get away from it all, life would be easier. But there is a saying, “no matter where you go, there you are”. Which basically means no matter where we go; our problems come with us. We must face our problems and deal with them right where we are. And we will usually find root of our problems lay within us, not in our location or circumstance.  Then why waste time and money running all over the world when all we need to succeed is right where we are. Changing our circumstances with not necessarily change our heart. But changing our heart will always change our circumstances. With a new attitude of heart, we will be ready to move forward to the next step of life.

Obligations: Good and Bad

“A lot of people are looking for a job but few are looking for work”. We tend to look for the quick and easy way, avoiding obligations and work as much as possible. But it is these very obligations the shape and builds our character. Without obligations we have no way of truly developing into a mature person who is a strong, self-confident achiever. Think of our obligations as spiritual weights (which they are). Weights can do two things. They can weigh us down and hold us back or they can be used to exercise us and build us up. The difference is the amount of weight and the method in which it is used.

                At first we don’t want to use too much weight but just enough to work us to our limits without overstressing. As we live up to our obligations, we are building our spiritual muscles and develop our character. Just as exercise requires effort and self-discipline to make progress, obligations also require effort and self-discipline. As we carry out our obligations, it gives us great satisfaction and as well as peace to our heart. Show me a person without obligations and I’ll show you a miserable soul without direction or purpose. Their character is weak and they are a drain on all around them.

                But if our obligations become too heavy because we try to take on too much, we will not build any muscle or strength. Instead we will be worn out, overwhelmed and discouraged. We need to balance the amount of obligations with what we are capable of handling. But our tendency is to become over obligated, especially financially and time commitments. Therefore we need to live within our means in both time and money. In other words, we should not let our obligations get too great. If our obligations are too much to bear, then we need to adjust our obligations to level we can handle. This can be very humbling and we may disappoint a lot of people, especially those we care about. But the object is to become strong enough to handle each step of life right where we are. As we grow stronger, we can handle more obligations and help others along the way. Obligations and purpose go hand in hand.

                Obligations can take many forms. They are things like a spouse, children, job, church, friends, and payments. They are not alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, sex, and other vices. A good, healthy obligation is something we do for the benefit of others as well as ourselves. Good obligations are never destructive but always building. Vices are things that waste our time and money while destroying our lives. There are enough problems in life without vices holding us down. In fact I think the word vice (vise) is a perfect word to describe what these destructive things do to us. The clamp or trap us so we cannot move or be effective in our endeavors.

                There are many highly successful people, according to society standards, that were strapped down and made totally miserable by their vices. Vices are like cancer. Cancer takes the victim’s strength and energy and gives nothing in return. Cancer can eventually kill the person if it is not treated properly. It is the same with vices. Just as cancer must be totally removed to have a healthy body, so must vices be totally be removed to have a healthy life. Oh but we enjoy our vices so much! These vices can become so much a part of our life that we find it impossible to let them go. Just as the body does not want to let go of malignant cancer, we do not want to let go of things that will eventually kill our spirit. If we can not overcome these vices on our own, we should ask for help to be set free. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

The worst vices of all are not bad physical habits but spiritual attitudes of heart. An attitude adjustment is the best way to start overcome physical vices. If we do become free of our vices without changing our attitude, we will just fall into another type of vice.

We must also evaluate how things we do are affect those around us. Are we wasting our lives on things that destroy and hurt others as well as ourselves? Or are we working with those things that build and heal? (This includes the words we speak.) Our destiny is always based on building and healing, not hurting and destroying. Our obligations go a long way in satisfying our destiny.

Standing and Fighting

                Obligations always have a cost. We will encounter many obstacles and trials as we try to honor our commitment to our obligations. We can get tired and weak from the constant battle. But “Without the ability to lose, there is no ability to win” nothing that has value comes without a struggle. There comes a time when we must ask ourselves “Is the struggle worth it?” Sometimes we need to stand and fight for what we have planned and committed to. But there are times when we need to let go and walk away. The trick is to know which reaction is the wisest thing to do.

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf is a good example of when to stand and fight. After graduating from West Point, he found the reality of army life totally different than the ideals he had been taught in regard to honor and duty to country. He found he had to deal with drunkenness and incompetence all around him. People didn’t care about doing a good job, didn’t care about others, and didn’t care about the country he so dearly loved. Being frustrated and disillusioned, he was ready to quit. Major Tom Whelan challenged Schwarzkopf with these words of wisdom. “There are two ways to approach it (ideals Vs reality); Number one is to get out. Number two is to stick around and someday, when you have more rank, fix the problem. But don’t forget, if you get out, the bad guys win.”[1] Gen. Schwarzkopf didn’t want the bad guys to win. He stuck it out and when he had gotten enough power, he changed things. The rest is history, an extremely efficient army that won one of the most one-sided victories in modern times.

                There are those who would tear down the values we hold dear. It is up to us to get involved and fight for what is right. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.[2] We have a duty to stand against decay and degradation of our values. Things we believe in are only valuable when we will take action to preserve them. If we do not care enough to take action, then they really didn’t have any true value to us any way. Actions determine value.

                It is easy to get disillusioned with things you love and feel passionate about when they don’t work the way you want them to. You can get involved with an organization such as the military, a church, school, job, friends, family, and find that the your ideals are not respected by others. There always seems to be pressure to not make trouble but just go along with the status quo. Would you want to be labeled an agitator and instigator? Are you willing to endure public scorn, or risk your job, friends, family or even your life for your principles? There is always a price to be paid for standing up for what is right. But we cannot be successful if we are not willing to pay the price of taking a stand. Is what we believe in worth our time and trouble? If so, take a stand!

                There are basically two types of people in the world today, thermostat people and thermometer people. Thermometer people test the waters and adjust themselves to what everyone else around them is doing. The most they ever do is complain about how bad things are and never do anything about it. Like complaining about politicians but never voting. They say their vote doesn’t really make any difference but neither will complaining without action, so why are they complaining? Usually it is just to generate sympathy, not really to fix the situation. Always remember, complaining without action never accomplished anything except to ruin the attitudes of others.

                 Thermostat people test the waters, decide they don’t like it and change the temperature. When the temperature of water is changed, there is always turbulence and resistance to that change. It will take time and energy to make a change. We must become obligated to change things and have the tenacity to see it through. We cannot be thermostatic people by insulating ourselves from the water we don’t like. We must be involved in life to make a difference. We lead by making judgment of right and wrong, then taking a stand for what it right. It does have a cost; it will cost us friends, family, money, time, freedom, hope, sleep, or even our life. But there is often no alternative. If we fail to take control of the waters of life, then we will be controlled. There are times to stand and fight, no matter how long it takes or how much it costs.

Walking Away and Forgiving

                The pilgrims came to America in 1620. They had left England because the Church of England would not let them worship freely. The authorities persecuted them and there was constant pressure to compromise what they held to be true. Drastic action was needed, the principles they believed in demanded they make some type of a response. They decided not to fight the church but instead to forgive and walk (or sail) away. They left behind homes, friends, careers, and their heritage, all for the freedom to worship. They came to America crammed together on a small ship called the Mayflower. They arrived, perhaps foolishly, not really knowing how they were going to live. They risked everything they had and many died the first year they were here. There were no government programs, health care, grocery stores. Their money was of no use. They had expected supply ships to bring them food but the ships didn’t show up. Needless to say, things did not go as planned.

                They had literally spent their lives for the principles in which they believed. They could have stayed home and lived a “normal” life by compromising their principles with the principles of the Church of England. It may have seemed so foolish to leave their homes, friends, family, and security behind to go to an unknown land. But to the Pilgrims, some things were worth more than homes, friends, family, and security. The principle of worshipping God freely was worth more than life itself. (We are even facing this problem again today) They were literally dying for what they believed in. Then a miracle happened for them after nearly dying out. An Indian arrived in their settlement that knew how to speak English! He along with other Indians taught them how to farm the land and to hunt. If not for the Indians, they would all have died. Because of this Indian who spoke English showing up (divine intervention of God’s plan), they had the first Thanksgiving.

                Their courage and commitment to their principles had set the attitude from which our country would develop. An attitude that freedom was worth more than life. The concept of the freedom sought by the Pilgrims that spread through out the colonies. It was these principles of freedom that were the main influence on the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. The principles of freedom would not only build this country but is now spreading through out the world. Billions of people have now been affected by the idea Pilgrims considered a noble purpose. Thus they had fulfilled a powerful destiny. The amazing thing is the pilgrims had no idea what the effect of their actions would ultimately have on the rest of the world and history.

Exchanging life

                What is life worth? The clock is running and we only have so much time, how shall we spend it? Decisions, decisions, what shall we do? But how many times do we let others decide for us what we should be doing. “My family has always been………”  “My friends all thought it would be a good idea to………” and worst of all, “they say you should……….” Who is “they” anyway? I am surprised by how many people do what they do because someone else thought it would be a good idea. I know because I let my family and friends plan my life and I paid dearly for it. I worked from 6^th grade through high school doing farm work and bailing hay for 75 cents an hour. Then I worked the late shift at the local drive-in and also worked at a grocery store for $1.25. By the time I finished high school, I had almost $4000 in the bank (1968 dollars). “They say you need to go to college to be successful.” All right, I went off to college and paid my own way, no scholarships or anything. The only problem was, I was 18 years old and had no idea what I wanted to be! “They say engineering is good to get into” so I went off to study to become an engineer. Not coming from a wealthy family, I had to work both in a lawnmower shop and the school cafeteria to help stretch my money. Soon I started loosing interest in engineering, I was having problems with some of my professors and other things started capturing my interest. I dropped out of school, all of my money gone and decided to just ride around on my motorcycle and have a good time. After all, it was 1969, the summer of love. (If I remember right, that was what they called 1969. But then again they say if you can remember the 60’s, you weren’t really there!) I had no direction and no future, just existing day to day. I didn’t care about tomorrow, just living for the moment.

                A friend of mine from high school came home on leave from the Marines. He asked me what I was doing with myself. “Nothing” was my reply. (Doing nothing is always a bad answer) He said “Join the Marines; let them make a man of you”. I had no idea of what I wanted to be so I thought I would join the military and let the military decide what I should do with my life. (Not really a bad idea if you are a young person starting out)  I went down to the Marine recruiters with my friend to join the Marines. I had just got the paper work started when my friend’s leave had ended and he left. The very next day another friend of mine from the Navy came home on leave.

                First thing I said to him was “Guess what, I’m joining the Marines! (Wrong thing to say to Navy man).” “You don’t want to join the Marines, you want to join the Navy!” he said. I said “OK” and went and picked up all the paper work from the Marine recruiters office and went across the hall to the Navy recruiter’s office. I took my physical and was all set to be sworn in the following week. My friend went back to the navy and a third friend who was in the Air Force came home on leave two days later.

                “Guess what, I’m joining the Navy!” I told him. “You don’t want to join the Navy, you want to join the Air Force!” he told me. Since I had not been sworn in, I picked up all my paper work from the Navy recruiter and went down stairs to the Air Force recruiter, took the tests and ended up in the Air Force! I let other people run my life because I always figured they were smarter and knew better than me what I should be doing.

                I went into basic training in fairly good physical condition. They gave me 3 good meals a day and a bed with sheets to sleep on. (I had been living on my motorcycle and sleeping on floors and scrounging food, so basic training was great) The physical end was easy so I was happy with my circumstance. But then I started hearing others complain about how bad everything was. They couldn’t handle the pressure. Several in my basic training group were giving up and trying to get out. One day the man next to me through himself on the ground and refused to move! I don’t know what ever happened to him, they just took him away in an ambulance. I was laughing at them all inside and thinking “what a bunch of wimps!” But as time went by, I found that I was starting to develop the same attitude they had. I started hating everything and started looking for ways to get out. (Believe me, basic training in the Air Force at that time was a cakewalk, the boy scouts was harder!)

After basic training, I was on my way to my Tech School when suddenly I realized what was happening to me. I had let the bad attitudes of others ruin what started out as a good time. I had it good. I was on my way to one of the most exclusive schools in the military. I was going to be stationed on the gulf coast for the next year which is where I wanted to be stationed. Everything was going right and yet my attitude was ruining my ability to enjoy my good fortune. I decided then and there I would no longer let others run my life. I would not let their bad attitudes control me. If they have a problem, it doesn’t have to become my problem. I spent the next year in Biloxi, Mississippi and had a GREAT time! Everyone else complained about how bad it was but that was their problem. I was not going to let it become my problem.

                I lived through this time of letting others plan my future but it cost me all my money and nearly 3 years of my life. The worst part was not the circumstances that took my time and money but the fact that I let others shape my attitudes. The one good thing we can do with our mistakes is learn from them. If we fail to learn from our mistakes, then they truly are mistakes. If we make mistakes and learn from them then they are no longer mistakes but a costly education. We may have to live with the consequences of our actions but let us not forget what we have learned from those consequences.

                The consequences can be way beyond the value of the lesson. “Don’t drink and drive” is one lesson no one wants to learn the hard way. It can involve someone dying or being maimed for life. Statistically it is the innocent victim who gets killed and not the drunk driver. I personally knew of a case where the man was so drunk, he couldn’t start his car. So some of his friends started his car for him and sent him home. He crashed into another car, killing a mother and child but he barely got hurt. A lesson was learned but was it worth the cost? Yet people are still drinking and driving. Unfortunately it usually is after tragedy has struck that people start to learn. It is far better to learn from the mistakes of others so we don’t have to live with similar consequences.

Responsibility

                We alone are responsible for our actions, not our families and friends. If we let others run our lives, we pay the price for their decisions. So how much do we listen to those around us? After all, some people do possess the wisdom that we need. The best test is to look at their life and decide if I want to be like them, to make them my hero. Remember; never take advice from someone doing worse than you. It is our responsibility to set our own goals for we alone will bear the results for our actions. When we bear the results of our decisions, we learn wisdom. If we miss our destiny and end up with a disappointing life, there is no one to blame but ourselves. There is no person on the face of the earth who can hold us back from our chosen destiny. There is only us and our attitudes of heart to block our way.

Fear

                “A life lived in fear is a live half lived”

                Fear can keep us from finding our destiny. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself”[3] and how true it is! Fear is one of the greatest enemies we can face in life. Fear is the exact opposite of faith. Faith is essential to the foundation of a successful life and fear is the destroyer of that foundation. A person living in fear will never step out to try anything new. Living in fear makes life agonizing and dismal. Fear can make us blind to our future, without the courage to face new opportunities. Even if we know our destiny, fear will stop us from pursuing it. People develop all types of phobias, which are based in fear. Fear of flying, fear of spiders, fear of heights, fear of water, fear of failure, being afraid to change or to face the future. These are destructive fears and they are a type of vices which are as strong as hard drugs. It leaves us spiritually paralyzed, consuming our lives, unable to do anything.

                Courage, on the other hand, is not the absence of fear but the ability to overcome fear. A person without fear is a person who will do foolish things. Fear makes us be cautious and thus we will use wisdom because we “fear” the consequences if we are wrong. But without taking risks, we can never experience success.

                Now there are some healthy fears. We fear jumping off cliffs and rooftops because of injury. We fear driving excessively fast because of accidents. We fear strangers around our children. These are good fears and should be part of common sense, which we will call wisdom. “The prudent sees the danger and hides himself, but the naive go on and suffer for it.”[4]  There are some things so stupid we should automatically know not to try them. (Yet some do and end up on the 6 o’clock news) The problem is when we start putting everything into the category of “that’s a stupid thing to do” when it may be exactly the perfect thing to do. To live life involves courage. It is a fine line between stupidity and courage. The difference can be determined by a person’s motivation. Are our actions based in pride and foolishness or are they based in knowledge and wisdom? Lets examine a man whose destiny seems courageous to us yet seemed sheer stupidity to his contemporaries.

                Christopher Columbus was a man of vision and a risk taker. He was thought mad and a fool by many of his day. To sail off in three little ships into the unknown was sheer stupidity! “As everyone knows, you’ll just fall off the end of the world and you will all die!” Don’t be fooled by the “everyone knows” mentality of giving up before things are examined. Columbus was not going into this blindly, he had done his homework. There had been theories that the earth was round going back to ancient times. Columbus and his brother, who was a chart maker, had theorized that the earth was round and that if they sailed west from Spain, they would find India or China. Even after several financial backers had turned Columbus down, he did not give up his “crazy” idea. He persisted with his plan until he found King Ferdunand of Castilles who decided to back the venture. Even though conventional wisdom had shown how foolish such a venture was, the naysayers hadn’t examined the facts. They just went along with what everyone had always said. “Lets just do it the way it has always been done it, no need to change or take a risk”. But Columbus had faith in his idea and would not be deterred. He was a man who saw opportunity and moved on his beliefs. Where would we be today if he had taken the “safe” course?

                One way of overcoming fear is by knowledge. We must have faith in our knowledge if we are going to act on what we know. We do not blindly just jump into things but use wisdom with our knowledge then proceed. Knowledge and wisdom combined with courage brings success. We need the courage, like Columbus, to overcome our fears.

                The fearful person is like a blind person, unable or unwilling to see (usually the latter). There is no joy or happiness for a fearful person, just disappointment and sorrow. Fear robs them of their strength, will, and purpose. They will eventually get to a point where they cannot be convinced even by facts. It is no longer an intellectual problem but a heart problem.

We all have fears and must learn to master these fears. No one else can do it for us. We can’t run away or ignore fear. We must face our fears and deal with them one by one. But how do we overcome these fears? By faith! “But the righteous man shall live by faith”[5] Faith is an attitude that no matter what happens, everything will be all right. God is greater than my fears. God is the person with the master plan and He will accomplish His work in my life. Even if we don’t understand how He can do it, we need to have faith that He will. After all, if He had enough power to create the universe, wouldn’t he have enough power to accomplish His will in my life? This is the basis of the faith that overcomes fear, the faith that God is greater than anything we will face and He will help us.

                Now this is not to say that you are a failure if you find yourself afraid or scared in various situations. The object is to not let fear rule your life. There is an old saying “A life lived in fear is a life half lived”. No one wants to go through life living in the shadow of fear. Fear may be there but we do not have to fear it.

No matter how well we prepare, there are going to be unexpected things that will scare us. We are all tempted with fear and there is nothing wrong with being tempted. The problem is when we give in to the temptation to be afraid. Fear is an emotion that can be controlled. We must fight against our fears and muster the courage overcome them. When we give in to our fears, that fear then controls us. If we are afraid of what a person will think about us, then that person is in control of us. “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”[6] Do we want the opinions of others to control our life and we simply do what they want? No matter how hard you try, you can not make everyone happy. We can never be free as long as we live in fear of others because we are under obligation to that fear. This is a destructive obligation

                Each time we give into fear, that fear becomes stronger. But each time we overcome our fear, it becomes weaker. As we weaken fear, we become better at overcoming it. The strength to overcome our fear goes back to faith in God. Always remember: He will accomplish His purposes in the life of those who trust in Him. He started it and He will finish it.

                Now we are ready to identify our fears and set out a battle plan to defeat them. Don’t try to take on all of your fears at once or you may become frustrated. Fears are like obligations, just deal with as much as you can handle for now. You will get stronger as you overcome each fear and soon you will be free to live life to it’s fullest. Ask God for help. Work on it, a little here, a little there and suddenly one day you’ll discover courage and faith you never knew you had.

Start with little fears. Be humble enough to ask for help when you need it. There is nothing worse than living in fear but being too proud to admit it. After you have victory in little things, move on to bigger things. Don’t give up if you have a setback (this is just starts the fear cycle again) but keep on fighting. Tough times don’t last, tough people do. There is nothing in life that cannot be overcome. Faith and tenacity are the keys to victory. Don’t give up, you can win!

Preconceived Ideas

                Preconceived ideas can also keep us from finding our destiny. It seems we always want to start at the top. No one wants to start at the bottom yet that’s the normal stating point. I found myself humbled by a need for a job arose after I released from the military. I had been to college and had extensive electronics education in the Air Force. I worked on computers that controlled the Strategic Air Command defense system and the nuclear arsenal that protected our country. When my time in the service was over, the only job I could find was in a motorcycle shop. “This is only temporary,” I told myself. “Here I am, a highly educated person doing the job of a high school drop out!” I thought I deserved to get a job in the computer field with lots of prestige. I had all this education and I was wasting it by being a “mechanic”. I looked down on my position and my circumstance. From the motorcycle shop I went to a sports car shop. After 3 years at the sports car shop, I went to a Ford dealership. Then one day I realized that I was making far more money as a mechanic than I ever could have as an engineer. Not only that, but I found myself now looking down on the “engineers” who made some of these stupid designs that I had to fix. Even though I had originally disliked being a mechanic, I found it to be an excellent job, which was always in high demand. I found I could not be unemployed longer than 15 minutes. Being a mechanic also enabled me to help many people in need.  I now realized that my life would be a lot more enjoyable if I accepted my “humble” job instead of thinking it was beneath me. I had let my bad attitude about my position in life rob me of my joy.

                Being humble and accepting that to which we are called is part of finding our destiny. We must be willing to accept the fact that we may spend our entire life being a “mechanic”, “clerk”, “house wife”, “factory worker”, “teacher”, or what ever. We do not know what God will make of our lives if we will just cooperate with what He has prepared for us. Pride sets in and says, “Is this all there is to life? A career at the donut shop! I am worth more than that!” Humble beginnings can have great endings by accepting and working with what we have, not what we think we deserve.

Examining your potential

                Let’s get down to making some concrete decisions about our destiny. Our basic skills and talents can be a large determining factor for what we shall become. We need to make an honest evaluation of our potential or our lack there of to determine our direction. When we are honest with ourselves, it makes the whole process a lot easier. Don’t fall into the trap of saying “I’m just no good” or some other form of self-deprivation or overstatement. Or it is just as bad to become overly impressed with our abilities.

                Here are a few examples of examining our potential. If you are 5’ 1” tall, you may not be called to play professional basketball. If you are tone deaf (musically challenged) you may not be called to be a choir director. Our physical factors are good guidelines for discovering who we are to be. “You can’t put in what God’s left out”. So lets not waste time trying to do things that we were not physically able to do. Don’t waste time wishing that we were made different or being envious of what someone else’s gifts and abilities. But instead let’s play the cards dealt us and make the best of what we have been given. When God crated us, He gave us all of the physical traits and talents we need to live a full and happy life. Ultimately, physical limitations do not determine our happiness or success but they do give us good direction on what God has called us to do.

Next we need to examine our likes and dislikes. This may seem overly simplistic, but quite often what we like or dislike can give us good direction. “Well, I like to watch football and eat, what destiny is there in that?” It is not so much what we do as it is why we do it. If a person likes football or sports in general, they usually enjoy the competition, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. This is a person who doesn’t just enjoy a game but is called to be involved in real life struggles. This person is a true competitor who thrills to see others overcome insurmountable odds. To come to the aid those who are down trodden and help them become victorious. To pick up the “football” of destiny and run it in for a touch down. Football is a lot like war, and life is the biggest war any of us will face. That person who likes to watch football is called to help others with encouragement against the struggle of life.

                Our destiny is not always something real mysterious or far away. It is as close as our heart beat. Our destiny is located right in our heart. It is expressed through our heart’s desires, the things we like or dislike. This may seem too simple but it is true. God has placed in everyone’s heart a desire to find their destiny. But how can we trust our heart? In order to trust our heart, we must first establish the spiritual principles of faith, knowledge, wisdom, honor and integrity. When we have established the principles of faith, knowledge, wisdom, honor and integrity, our heart’s desire (likes and dislikes) will direct us toward our destiny. A properly prepared heart will always make the correct choice. But without faith, knowledge, wisdom, honor and integrity, our heart will have perverted desires and lead us in wrong ways.

                 How is it that our heart can lead us? An example would be when someone wants to get married. “Should I marry this person or that person? How do we know who is the all-important Mr. /Mrs. Right?” After all, finding the right person can be an important part of our destiny. (It can also be an important part to not be married also) Here is a list of things we look at when choosing a mate: looks, height, weight, personality, race, and hair, sense of humor, class, education, talent, money, parents, ethnicity, popularity or compatibility. In your heart you will know which of these things are the most important to you. Personal taste can be essential in some categories when it comes to finding a mate. A person with an IQ of 160 may not want a mate with an IQ of 85. It may work but it will have some major challenges. The first thing I remember about my wife is her haunting blue eyes and long curly hair. These physical features are not the only thing I was looking for in a women but they certainly caught my interest. These may have just been some of my personal preferences in my heart but these preferences helped directed me to my perfect mate.

These things can be important but they are not necessarily the most important things when looking for a mate. Here are the most important things to look for in a mate: love, friendship, integrity and honor. Which person we choose to marry is not nearly as important as the values they have in their heart. Love without honor and integrity is not enough by itself. It is no good to marry someone who is going to run around on you. And no matter how perfect your chosen mate is for you, it will not work if you don’t have honor and integrity within yourself also.

                Bottom line, if you want a good mate and a good marriage, you must become a good mate by working on your own honor and integrity. What good is it going to do to meet Mr. Right if you are not ready with these spiritual qualities? This is part of spiritual preparation that we all have to do if we want to be ready when the time comes. If you or your chosen mate have problems with honor or integrity (being deceptive, for example), don’t even think about getting married. A marriage that is only as strong as it’s spiritual foundation. If that foundation is built on deception and mistrust, the marriage will be a nightmare. A wedding ring doesn’t change anything, a marriage is only as strong as it’s spiritual foundations.

                The key to all destiny is our spiritual preparation. Preparation of the heart is the biggest part of finding our destiny. It is our responsibility to prepare ourselves so when God brings our opportunities, which He surely will, we will be ready. There are times and seasons to everyone’s life, and when time and chance meets our preparation, then things start to happen. Then we will automatically know and fulfill our destiny when our heart is right. If our heart is not properly prepared, we can end up with disastrous results

Multiple Destinies

                We also need to realize that most of us have multiple destinies. I am a son, a brother, a husband, a father, and a friend. I have also been a student, a salesman, a mechanic, businessman, a musician, an athlete and a pastor. We may have one big destiny but don’t let worrying about it get in the way of our day-to-day activity. It is by fulfilling of the day-to-day parts of our destiny that prepares us for the bigger things. The greatest people, who have done some of the most extraordinary things, have been just ordinary people who were simply prepared when opportunity came. .

                                “I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is the bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to the men of ability: for time and chance overtake them all.”[7] This basically means that what ever we were destine for will happen. It is just a matter of whether or not we are ready for it when it gets here.

                Luck is when preparation meets circumstance. I once had a chance to learn to fly an airplane and go on missionary trips. The airplane, books, and instructor were all provided free of charge. All I had to do was pay for the gas I used while learning to fly. But this happened when I was first married and I didn’t have even enough money even afford the gas. The chance came and I wasn’t prepared financially. The opportunity passed and I never did get my pilot’s license. The first part of preparing for our future is to prepare our heart. Let us build knowledge, wisdom, honor and integrity into everything we do. Then let our hearts be filled with love and compassion. From there, all of life begins.

Summation

                That brings us back to the question, “what is my destiny?” Let us again ask the three questions, “Who am I? What am I doing here? And where am I going?” First of all, “who are you?” You are a creation of God with a specific purpose in life. You are unique and no one can replace you. You are the embodiment of total potential, ready to overcome and be victorious. You were created to be satisfied and fulfilled. You were not created for misery and failure. God created us, thus we are somebody. “God don’t make junk”[8]

                “What am I doing here?” We are here to wage war, the war of life. We are in a life and death struggle to find and fulfill our destiny. We are here to use the raw materials that God has placed in us and around us. We are here to fill our lives with all the knowledge and wisdom available to us. We are to develop an attitude of integrity and honor along with our wisdom and knowledge. We are to overcome the obstacles that are place before us through faith. We are to be of service to those in need and to love one another. We are all in this together. If we fail to fulfill our destiny because we give up, everyone loses out on our special contributions to life.

                “Where am I going?” We are going to fulfill our destiny, our call from God. There is nothing on this earth that can stop us but ourselves. Once our heart is fully prepared, we will do all the right things. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”[9] Victory is ours!

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[1] Doesn’t take a hero, p 82-83

[2] Edmund Burke, attributed

[3] Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Inaugural Address, March 4 1933

[4] Proverbs 22:3

[5] Romans 1:17

[6] Proverbs 29:25

[7] Ecclesiastics 9:11

[8] Slogan on a T-shirt

[9] Romans 8:31