You Have Been Destined for More
“‘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’” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).
As God’s child you have been destined for more. I often get asked, “What do you do when your reality doesn’t look like what God promised?”
In these situations, I’m reminded of a man named Joseph. Joseph was destined for great things, but that promise looked far from his reality when he found himself falsely accused and sentenced to life in prison. Joseph was born to rule Egypt, and yet he found himself in the lowest position of all––a prisoner. Still, Joseph proved his integrity when promotion seemed impossible. He held to the promise of God in the face of defeat. Long story short, overnight, Joseph ended up going from being a prisoner to ruling all of Egypt!
God turned all of Joseph’s obstacles into his opportunity, his prison into his promotion, and his sentence into his celebration—and he can do the same for you! You have been destined for more!
You may be in prison today, but you’re not destined for the prison! Pass the integrity test when no one knows your name, when there’s no promotion on the table, and when your situation looks hopeless, and watch how God brings His promises to pass every single time!
You have been destined for more!
You Have Not Been Forgotten
“If I rise with the sun in the east and settle in the west beyond the sea, even there you would guide me. With your right hand you would hold me” (Psalm 139:9-10, NCV).
When my husband, Gary, and I were in the midst of financial chaos and living in an old 1800s farmhouse, there were days I felt like God must have forgotten about me. My life did not look the way I had envisioned—I was voted “most likely to succeed” in high school. Then I found myself trimming the plants growing through our broken windowpanes!
In those days, I couldn’t see the incredible plan God was unraveling in my life. Looking back, the beautiful work God was doing is crystal clear. God knew our names, even in that old farmhouse, and He was guiding us every step of the way. He had a plan, and it was so much better than anything I could have imagined!
God hasn’t forgotten about you. He knows where you are, He knows where you’re going, and He knows how to get you there. God knows your name. Whatever you’re facing today, give your emotions over to God, and allow Him to work in the situation. You don’t have to do life alone. God has gone before you, is with you, and has already made a way for you.
No matter what circumstances you may be in right now, God has not forgotten about you. He has a great plan for your life! The enemy wants nothing more than to get you out of your unique assignment and off the plan God has for your life. Choose to rejoice, even when the circumstances are rough, because He is greater.
Living on Purpose
We are called to live our lives in victory and finish our race strong in the Lord. How we end is just as important, if not more so, as how we start. It is crucial to build on the right foundation, but starting doesn’t get us to the prize alone—we must finish strong! And we must discover why we are here.
Too many of us live lives without living on purpose.
The Bible says you were born for such a time as this (Esther 4:14)! You are purposed to be light in the darkness, to demonstrate God’s Kingdom. It doesn’t surprise God that you are living in these times. He planned it before the foundation of the world.
I searched for years trying to figure out what, in addition to my family, my purpose was. What was my passion? I looked for clues in everything—from things I enjoy, to things that get me angry—such as injustices against children and young women. I looked at places where I have volunteered to figure out what matters most to me. Finally, I came to the conclusion that, even before we started to pastor a church, that I love motivating people to do their best and succeed financially. I love encouraging people so they can live lives of freedom, enjoy their families, and fulfill their destinies in God.
I realized my calling wasn’t so much to a specific age group or gender, but rather to all people, to help them rise to their destinies and reach their potentials.
My good friend Patty said, “If there is a little shampoo left in the bottle, you don’t want to throw it out, because you want to see it accomplish what it was made for.” I had to laugh. She’s right. I want everything to fulfill its purpose—after all, even my shampoo was made for a purpose. I’m passionate about people winning in life, because that’s the way God created and designed them to live. (I have since let go of almost-empty shampoo bottles for higher goals. Lol!)
Destiny is one of the reasons I am passionately against excuses and blame, because I know that a person can never move forward if they blame someone else for where they are today. We have all been hurt. We have all seen sorrows and tough times. But if you can find one example in life or in the Word of God of someone who overcame, then you can too! This is not a lack of compassion; it’s the knowledge that compassion must move us to action! Belief in God and His Word mixed with positive action is the answer. God’s Kingdom principles don’t change—but they do change things.
Our life was completely rerouted and changed as we continually stuck with the hard stuff when we wanted to quit many times. But don’t quit! There is only one you, and only you can accomplish the call God has placed on your life. If you don’t, then who will? You have been destined for greatness, but only you can walk it out.
I want to encourage you today to trust God and His amazing plan for your life, so you can live on purpose!
A great step to discovering your purpose is to connect with other women to build lasting friendships, step out of your comfort zone, and gain accountability. This is why I created The Happy Life Membership! Happy Life Groups will get you involved in a community of like-minded women to discover your purpose and potential, and the confidence that comes with it!
Maybe you feel like God has called you to do more. Then I want to encourage you to take it a step further––sign up to lead a Happy Life Group! The best way to do it is that—step out and be bold in who God has called you to be!
I can’t wait to embark on this journey with you.
For more content like this click HERE.
