“Destiny, I feel, is also a relationship – a play between divine grace and willful self-effort.” – Elizabeth Gilbert

“Choices are the hinges of destiny.” – Pythagoras

“For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace, and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” – Jeremiah 29:11 (Amplified Bible)

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” – Psalm 139:26 NKJV

“Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the LORD’S purpose for him that will stand (be carried out).” – Proverbs 16:21 Amplified Bible

Do you believe that God has a plan for your life?  Is it one that can be manipulated or is it irrevocable – destined to unfold regardless of your actions?  Does God dictate the outcome or do you?

These questions have surfaced in my life recently and I’m sure at one point in time you’ve asked similar questions yourself.

If God indeed has a good plan for me, filled with welfare and peace, why don’t my current circumstances reflect that?  Am I on course, heading in the right direction, or have I made a wrong turn or decision somewhere along the way?  Do I have the power to thwart God’s plans or does His omnipotence outweigh and overrule my own choices?  Most importantly, how do I sync my life, my goals, and my choices with God’s good and gracious plans for me?

These are difficult questions – ones not easily answered. 

As an example, we certainly have the power to choose our own direction, but God also has the power to create circumstances in our life that move and redirect us.  Sometimes, what seems like the “wrong” way to us can actually be the “right” way.  So, bottom line is the answers to these questions aren’t always straight forward – they are a mixture of our choices, God’s intervention, and His ultimate intentions (of which we cannot comprehend or determine in our own strength).

But here is where the “rubber meets the road” so to speak:  Do you believe God has a plan for you?  If so, do you believe it is the BEST plan?

If you answered an astounding “YES” to these questions, then there is a way to eliminate what might seem confusing or unclear about where your life is heading – a way to get in sync with God’s wonderful thoughts and gracious plan for you!

The RIGHT WAY starts with ACTIVE SUBMISSION

I know 😊 Sounds like an oxymoron.  But getting in sync with God’s plans for you require you to submit your way to His way.  You must believe in your heart that His plans are indeed the BEST plans for you.  To do this will require humility, self-sacrifice, and a willingness to relinquish your desires, your decisions, and your next steps to Him.

The reason I refer to this as “active submission” is it requires a very conscious, determined choice on your part.  Submitting to God’s plan isn’t simply letting go of your own.  It’s making an active choice each day to believe, to submit, to look for and listen for His direction.  These choices aren’t easy.  They require you to be fully active and committed.

This first step is key!  If you’re not willing to actively submit your way to God’s way, then you have no real way of knowing if your life is flowing in the direction of your destiny.

The RIGHT WAY often FLOWS and UNFOLDS with EASE

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your path.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (New Living Translation)

Once we actively submit to God’s way, seek His will in all we do, He promises to “direct our path”.  The Amplified Bible says He will “direct and make straight and plain your paths.”

The right way (God’s way) is one that tends to flow and unfold with ease if we allow it.  Often, I have found in my own life that when I have fought to head out in my own direction, in a way I have determined to be best for me, it was tiresome, difficult, and filled with roadblocks.  When I have humbly submitted to God’s way, waited on Him to direct my next steps, the path or direction seemed to just flow.  It unfolded with a sense of ease.  It was indeed straight and plain!

“Roll your works upon the Lord – commit and trust them wholly to Him; [He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” – Proverbs 16:3 (Amplified Bible Classic Edition)

The RIGHT WAY matches who GOD is – His CHARACTER AND PRINCIPLES

You know your life is flowing in the direction of your destiny if it embodies the characteristics and principles of God.  The RIGHT WAY will test your faith, develop your patience, and strengthen your perseverance.  It will grow and develop your relationship with Him – leading and teaching you to become more like Christ.

The RIGHT WAY isn’t filled with selfishness, greed, or running over others to get what you desire.  It is filled with who God is, what He values, and follows His principles.

Often what looks and feels like the right way (by worldly standards) isn’t heading the right direction.  The world says, “Put yourself first!”  God says, “Put yourself last and then you will become first.”  The world says, “If it’s going to happen, YOU need to make it happen!” God says, “Trust, wait, and submit your way to me – and I will lead YOU.”

If it doesn’t match who God is and what He stands for, it’s definitely not a part of your destiny!

Here are some other things to consider:

• BECOME AN ACTIVE OBSERVER:  Do you spend time each day observing your own life, your interactions with others, your thoughts, and your motives?  Do you take a little time each day to watch YOU?  Spend some time actively observing what is going on within the day – the conversations you have, the direction of your thoughts, the motives behind your actions.  These clues will tell you if you are on the right course.  Often God will direct us through conversations with friends, through reoccurring themes, events, or circumstances.  If we fail to take time to observe and analyze, we can often miss out on the direction we need to head, the next step we should take, and the next step we should pray about.
• PLACE YOURSELF IN A POSTION TO BE GUIDED:  If you’re too busy going, going, going and doing, doing, doing, you are relying too much on yourself and not on God.  Time spent listening in prayer (quiet time) is such a vital part of submitting your way to God’s way and staying on the right path.  Here is where making the choice of ACTIVE SUBMISSION comes into play!  Am I listening, waiting, watching, and willing to be directed or am I too busy putting my own desires and plans into action?
• BE MORE AWARE OF THE NEXT STEP VERSUS THE FINAL OUTCOME: God generally directs us by showing us the next step to take.  Seldom does He lay out the entire plan step by step – revealing the desired outcome or end result.  By doing this, He keeps us close to Him.  Knowing this will help you place more focus and emphasis on the next step to take versus the overall goal or outcome. Someone once shared this quote with me: “Life is hard – yard by yard, but life is a cinch – inch by inch!”  It is so much easier to stay on course if we are focused on the next step we are about to take versus questioning our overall direction or mission. 

Remember, each step adds up and it eventually defines your journey here. 

If each step is taken in the right direction, your life will indeed be flowing in the direction of your destiny!

My prayer is that you give some thought (some quiet time) to the reason you are here – your God-given destiny.  I pray you are encouraged to actively submit, to observe and reflect on your current direction, and to willingly place your next steps in God’s Hands – becoming a part of His plans for you filled with welfare and peace my friend 😊

God bless!