Define Your Purpose or Destiny
Your Challenges Do Not Define Your Destiny; Your Response Does.
The greatest mistakes most people do is allowing others defined their destiny not realizing that the establishment of that dream in your heart is only assigned for you alone. I have hard many saying "I wanted being a doctor but my parents said no, that I should rather choose military", well am not against parent suggestion but rather as parent nurture your child's dream and assignment. Someone said " Pastor Godsgift, are you saying that when we chose parents suggestion then we can't succeed fulfilling it? Well done question; perhaps parents said join army when all your life dreams are being a secondary school teacher then hear me, you can still succeed being a military personnel but you have disappointed your generation and also disobeyed God who designed your destiny as a teacher but changed by parents. Not forgetting that Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defined Destiny as That to which any person or thing is destined; a predetermined state; a condition foreordained by the Divine or by human will. This implied that you alone can defined your purpose of living, called and why you most be a doctor when others are suggesting you over lecturing in a university.
To define your destiny simply means you not allowing others force you do or walk through different path, do not let others define what you know is the purpose of your existence or being given the mission, assignment.
The bible clearly pointed a story of an old prophet and new prophet; the old prophet deceived the new prophet as example to when we allowed people making choices in our calling.
Sometimes it required challenges to hasten you to what you're destined for. If possible for Joseph dream to change by his brothers or family as a whole it would have been done to release him from the prison and other troubles he encountered.
Defining your purpose or destiny is one of the most critical steps in fulfilling your Destiny. Purpose gives your life meaning, while destiny is the ultimate destination of your journey. Together, they create a roadmap for how you should live, work, and serve. Without a clear definition, you may wander aimlessly, missing the opportunities God has prepared for you.
As Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Defining your purpose is like setting a vision for your life—it provides clarity, direction, and the ability to stay focused even in the face of challenges.
What is Purpose?
Purpose is the "why or reason" behind your existence. It answers questions like:
- Why was I created?
- What role am I meant to play in God’s plan?
- How can I use my life to serve others?
Key Insight: Your purpose is not about personal ambition but about aligning yourself with God’s will and serving the greater good.
- What is Destiny?
Destiny, on the other hand, is the ultimate goal or outcome of your life. It is where God wants you to arrive after fulfilling your purpose. While purpose is ongoing, destiny is the culmination of living a life aligned with God’s plan.
Biblical Example: David
David’s purpose was to serve God and His people as a shepherd, warrior, and king. His destiny was to establish a kingdom that honored God and set the stage for the Messiah’s lineage.
Why Defining Your Purpose and Destiny is Crucial
1. Clarity: When you define your purpose, you can make decisions with confidence and avoid distractions.
2. Focus: Knowing your destiny helps you prioritize your efforts and resources.
3. Motivation: A clear purpose keeps you inspired, even during tough times.
4. Fulfillment: Living with purpose and pursuing your destiny bring joy and satisfaction.
Quote to Reflect On:
“You were created on purpose for a purpose.” ( Check chapter 3 for more clarity).
Steps to Define Your Purpose or Destiny
1. Seek God First and Align Your Purpose with God’s Kingdom:
True purpose is always connected to God’s plan for humanity. Your calling will not only benefit you but also serve others and advance God’s kingdom.
Key Verse: Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Note: Understanding your purpose begins with a relationship with God. He is the Creator, and only He knows why you were made. Spend time in prayer, asking Him to reveal His plans for you.
Key Verse: Jeremiah 29:11 – “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.”
Action Step: Dedicate time daily for prayer and meditation, asking God for clarity about your purpose.
2. Identify Your Gifts and Talents:
God has equipped each person with unique abilities that align with their purpose. Your skills, passions, and natural inclinations are clues to what you are called to do.
Biblical Example: Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 31:1-6)
God chose these craftsmen for the construction of the Tabernacle because of their artistic talents. Their purpose was tied to their skills, which glorified God.
Reflection Questions:
- What do you do effortlessly?
- What activities bring you joy and fulfillment?
- What talents do others recognize in you?
3. Examine Your Passions
Your purpose often aligns with what you are passionate about. Passion is the fuel that keeps you moving toward your destiny, even when challenges arise.
Example:
Nehemiah had a deep passion for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. His burden for his people led him to take bold action, fulfilling his purpose and destiny.
Action Step: Write down the causes or issues that ignite your passion.
4. Reflect on Your Life Experiences
Your past—both good and bad—can provide valuable insights into your purpose. God often uses our experiences to prepare us for what lies ahead.
Biblical Example: Joseph
Joseph’s journey from being sold into slavery to becoming a ruler in Egypt was filled with trials. However, those experiences equipped him to save his family and fulfill his destiny.
Reflective Questions:
- How have your struggles shaped you?
- What lessons have you learned that could help others?
5. Start setting small goals once you define your purpose:
As you reflect on your greatest strengths and passions and you begin to get an idea of the type of future you'd love, start thinking of steps you can take to start on the path. These don't necessarily have to be big, life-changing shifts, especially at first start from where you are right now, and work your way toward your goals from there.
-For instance, if you've discovered you'd love to work as a fashion designer, you might take sewing lessons or practice making clothes for your friends.
-If your goal is to make a living as a photographer, you might start by saving up for a really nice camera. Then, you could study online tutorials to learn all the features of your camera. From there, you might offer to take free photos of your family and friends as practice, then move up to freelance work, and eventually grow that into a full-time career.
Sub-steps under setting goals
Do not forget this adage "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."
— Lao Tzu
Write down your goals to keep yourself focused on them. Sometimes achieving your goals can take a long time, and it can seem hard to keep yourself motivated. However, if you write down the goal you want to accomplish and post it somewhere you'll see it often, it can help keep you on task especially as you start seeing progress.
-For instance, if your goal is to become an astronaut, you might write "Travel to Space!" on a piece of paper. Then, post it on your bedroom mirror so you can see it every day.
Don't let other people's opinions hold you back. No matter what you decide to do, the choice should be your own. If you're really determined, don't let anyone tell you that you're not smart or talented enough or that the path will be too hard. Keep in mind that that's only their opinion, and you're the only one who can—or should—control your destiny.
-With that in mind, do seek counsel from people whose opinions you respect and trust. They may raise concerns that you haven't thought of before, and you might need to take those into consideration when you're making plans.
Be patient as you try to fulfill your purpose. Finding your purpose can be a life-long undertaking, so don't expect the answer to come to you all at once, and don't worry about rushing the process. Just look for opportunities to make small changes that will get you closer to feeling like you're fulfilling your purpose in life.
-You might even discover that your goals change after you've been doing something for a while. Constantly evaluate yourself, your interests, and your needs, and make adjustments along the way when you need to.
Stay dedicated to your goals, even if it's hard. If you really feel passionately that you've found the path you want to take, it's going to be worth it to keep pushing through, no matter what obstacles come your way. If you have a positive attitude, you're patient, and you're committed to hard work, chances are, you'll reach your goal in time.
-Remember, a setback isn't necessarily a dead end, so don't give up just because things don't go right the first time!
Questions to Help Define Your Purpose
1. What problem in the world do you feel called to solve?
2. What do you do that feels effortless yet impactful?
3. What legacy do you want to leave behind?
Obstacles to Defining Your Purpose
1. Fear of Failure
Many people hesitate to pursue their purpose because they fear they might fail. Remember, God equips those He calls.
Key Insight: Failure is often a stepping stone to success.
2. Comparing Yourself to Others
Comparison can lead to envy, self-doubt, and distraction. Focus on your unique journey, not someone else’s.
Biblical Reminder: Galatians 6:4 – “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”
3. Lack of Patience
Defining and fulfilling your purpose takes time. Trust God’s timing and remain faithful.
HOW TO PUT YOUR PURPOSE, POTENTIALS INTO WORK
1: Take up a pursuit where you can use your skills.
After you've identified your unique skills, think about different hobbies that might make good use of them. Not only will you get to enjoy being naturally inclined toward your new activity, but you'll also be reinforcing your natural talents by using them regularly.
-For instance, if you enjoy tending to your houseplants, you might start a raised bed or a balcony garden.
-If you love to read, you might join a book club, or you might even try your hand at writing your own book!
2: Look for opportunities to use your talents to help your loved ones.
If you find that there's something you're especially good at, think about ways that you could use that skill to help enrich the lives of your family and friends. Not only will you get the satisfaction of using your talent, but you'll also get to experience that happiness that comes from brightening someone else's day.
-For instance, if you're really great at crocheting, you might make a beautiful blanket to gift to a friend who's expecting a new baby.
-If you're extremely organized, you might offer to help the next time a family member is planning a garage sale.
3: Volunteer to help causes you to believe in.
If you want to feel like your life has more purpose, consider donating time to an organization in your area that you feel strongly about. Spending your time helping others will not only give you a sense that you're contributing to your community, but it will also help you put your own problems in perspective.
-For instance, you might volunteer to help collect toy donations for children in need around the holidays, or you might spend your time serving food at a soup kitchen.
-If you're passionate about helping animals, you might volunteer at an animal shelter, or you could foster animals that are waiting to be adopted.
4: Try online classes or freelance work to break into a new career.
Even if you discover that your true purpose lies in a different career path, it's not always feasible to just quit your job. However, you can take online classes or find freelance gigs to help you gain the skills and experience you'll need to eventually transition to doing what you love.
-If you want to be a pastry chef, you might take baking classes in the evenings until you feel confident enough to start applying for jobs.
Tip: Remember, there are plenty of ways to live a purposeful life, even if you don't have a certain dream career. Many people find fulfillment in working a steady job, then spending their free time engaging in their hobbies or being around family and friends.
5: Move to a new city if you need more opportunities.
If you feel like you're being held back because you live in a place that doesn't have many career opportunities, or even because you don't fit in with the local culture, it might be a good idea to consider a move. Starting over somewhere new can be scary, but it can also provide you with a whole new world of possibilities that wouldn't have been available if you stayed where you were.
-If you're considering a move, don't just move somewhere blindly. Visit different places until you find the one that feels like the right fit for you. If you can't do that, read as much as you can about the area before you go.
What happen next to your Destiny and purpose
Your destiny and purpose are things that are going to happen no matter what. Your path is full of events that will happen regardless of your choices, but you can still work to find your life's purpose and find peace within that. And that's why you need to do and try everything, within your own morals and philosophies, and never say, "Oh, I wouldn't like doing that" or "Oh, I can't do that". Those kinds of thoughts only lead to failure and stagnation. Keep a very open mind about all things, big and small (within reason, of course), and you will slowly but surely find new insights about yourself and your many talents.
You may ask: what if I don't have a talent? Then you have a talent for learning and acquiring new skills, and that's a great talent. Just keep pursuing the things you find most interesting and your purpose will become clear to you, if it isn't already.
Living with Purpose
Once you have defined your purpose, the next step is to live it out intentionally. This requires discipline, perseverance, and a constant reliance on God.
Daily Habits for Purposeful Living:
1. Start Your Day with Prayer: Seek God’s guidance every morning.
2. Set Goals: Break down your destiny into actionable steps.
3. Evaluate Your Progress: Regularly assess whether your actions align with your purpose.
4. Stay Connected to a Faith Community: Surround yourself with people who encourage and support you.
Defining moment: Recognizing God’s Hand
Throughout your journey, God will provide defining moments—times when He reveals Himself clearly and redirects your path. These moments often solidify your understanding of your purpose.
Example: Paul’s Conversion (Acts 9)
Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus was a defining moment that transformed his life and clarified his destiny.
The power of destiny
We all have a race to run. Before each of us is a life path that is our God-given destiny. And within us is a great desire to fulfill that destiny. The Bible in your hand contains everything you need to know to run this race well.
In Hebrews 12:1-2 we find a few clues about how to run our race well: We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
In this book, we’ll examine the stories of Bible characters who carried out their God-given calling. Their testimonies have been given to us so that we can learn from their stories.
2. We refuse to be entangled by sin.
We’ll examine in this devotional the temptations that might come about to aim to put you off-course and what the Bible teaches about defeating these temptations.
3. We fix our eyes on Jesus.
If we fill our gaze with Jesus, desiring Him to be glorified above all, we will find that everything else falls into place–a lesson which all of these characters learned!
3. We need to endure–don’t ever give up!
Persistence in the pursuit of your God-given destiny will yield fruit. The stories of these characters will encourage you to persevere.
Learn from Joshua, Abraham, Joseph, Ruth, Esther, David, Solomon and Rahab, who refused sin, fixed their eyes on God and fulfilled their destinies. God has given us these stories to learn how to do the same — to His glory
Defining your purpose and destiny is a process that requires self-reflection, faith, and action. By seeking God’s guidance, leveraging your gifts, and trusting His timing, you can live a life of significance and impact. Remember, your purpose is not just about you—it’s about glorifying God and serving others.
Three Reflective Questions:
1. What steps can you take today to better understand your purpose?
2. How can you use your gifts to glorify God and bless others?
3. What obstacles are holding you back from pursuing your destiny?
