How Do I Discover God’s Will for My Life?
Do you find yourself praying for direction, strength, understanding, and purpose? Do you feel you’ve lost the zest for life you once had or your passion and focus for the Word of God?
It’s understandable. In today’s world of hectic schedules, it’s no wonder quick quizzes and self-help magazine articles grab our attention when we get those few still moments standing in the checkout line at the grocery store.
Headlines such as “Find Your Purpose!” and “Live Up to Your Full Potential in 2019!” make some big claims.
But are they reliable? Grounded in truth? Or are they about taking on more? More resolutions or actions that only fill your already-busy schedule to the brim…
It seems like there are quizzes everywhere that promise to narrow down your true purpose through a series of questions about your likes and dislikes. While these are not to be discounted altogether, there is something that must happen beforehand.
To find your purpose, you must first claim your identity.
For a Believer, this isn’t about trying to find your identity like a needle hidden in a haystack. It has already been found in Christ.
This is about empowering you to claim it.
I’m Tired…
Are you tired of wondering what God has in store for you? When you read Jeremiah 29:11 that states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope,” do you believe this promise from the Lord?
Now, if you believe it, do you walk in this truth? Don’t be discouraged. If you aren’t walking in God’s divine plan for your life, it’s because you’ve never been taught how!
We are told we have been given an abundant life—a future of hope, peace, and prosperity… But where are these blessings?
Your blessings are in your identity. Before going on a big trip, most of us look at a GPS to find the best route. It doesn’t just show your current location, but with current technology, it also gives you the option of how you want to get there (walking, biking, or driving) with a bird’s-eye view.
We see signs along the way, yes, but when we get that aerial view—God’s view—the path is clear.
In a sense, most of us are walking through our faith journey using just the road signs along the highway. But we have access to the most reliable navigation system available, the Holy Spirit… which gives us that bird’s-eye view through our identity and heritage.
You see, most of us unknowingly seek out direction from places other than our heritage. We have strength and direction available to us that we are not accessing, and as a result, we are not walking in our full potential.
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”—Proverbs 16:9
So, when we fill out those quizzes or read those self-help books, we look through the lens of how we identify ourselves, not who the Lord says we are.
- “..that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting…”—Ephesians 4:14
- “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”—Romans 8:15-17 (emphasis added)
When you become grounded in who you are and with whom you are an heir, a supernatural shift takes place. You start to see how the Lord is directing your steps! You no longer feel as if you are swimming upstream, but instead resting in the fact that He is carrying you where you need to go.
New Year, New Choices, New Steps…
The new year is nipping at our heels. We have aspirations of making changes: selecting better choices for our health, saving more money, and getting more organized in 2019.
Instead of piling on the betters and mores, try getting back to your grassroots, your faith roots… your Jewish roots.
- “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”—Revelation 22:16 (emphasis added)
Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”—Matthew 11:28-30
When we are tired, feel overwhelmed, and need our steps directed, we find the answer in our identity in Yeshua!
You have a choice in this new year. You can add more resolutions to your list, or you can strip it down to the bare essentials—and find your purpose and destiny.
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.”—Matthew 16:25-27
You have an opportunity to transform your faith in 2019. Let the Lord establish your steps. Renew your covenant with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Move into God’s story and plan for your life as He tells you who you are.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”—Jeremiah 1:5
Never let the world define you; it only ends in carrying a heavy burden. Instead, look at the sands of time as God does; understand He knew you, and He had a destiny and plan set in place just for you before the creation of the world.
Don’t you want to find out what it is? We encourage you to experience the Lord in new ways this coming year.
Check out Reclaiming Our Forgotten Heritage | How Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity Can Transform Your Faith, a book by Curt Landry that takes you on a journey through time to discover your purpose for the future.