Counselor's Corner: Know How to Contend For Your Destiny

You know that God has a plan for your life, but you have not been able to reach your full purpose yet. You must know how to contend for your destiny to fulfill what God has in store for you.

We all have been created with a purpose and to fulfill God’s destiny for us. When we walk in our destiny or our created purposes, the Kingdom of God gets advanced. Walking into our destiny usually comes with a battle from the kingdom of darkness.

How to contend for your destiny:

1.      First and most importantly, know what your created purpose is. Everyone has a purpose, and if you do not know yours take some time and ask the Lord to reveal to you why He created you. Write down your strengths, your weaknesses, prior jobs that you had and enjoyed, and your greatest struggles and triumphs. Listen to what other people say about you consistently such as, “you’re always such an encourager.” What are your spiritual gifts? God will take your talents, gifts, personality, experiences, and He will use your strengths for your created destiny. God will even use your trials, struggles, and heartache for good.

2.      Write down what you believe your destiny is. Speak daily your destiny over yourself. Even if you cannot perceive how and when your destiny will unfold, believe by faith that God has set you on the path to your purpose.

3.      Understand that there are no small opportunities to advancing to your destiny. Small opportunities lead to bigger opportunities. Do not get discouraged if you do not feel you are not fully walking in your destiny, every small step that you take can lead you to your destiny.

4.      Recognize that you will be tested repeatedly as to your faithfulness to your calling and especially to your loyalty and love to Jesus. This testing is extremely beneficial as you fully walk into your destiny. It is better to get tested now and develop spiritual maturity, perseverance, steadfastness, and an overcoming spirit than to abort your destiny because you cannot handle the pressure.

5.      Be aware that you will be refined until there is nothing in your character that could hinder fulfilling your destiny. Anything that needs to be purged out of your mind, soul or emotions that does not reflect the Glory of God-will be purged out! Nothing will be remaining in you that could be corrupt, immoral, or contentious to the things of God. Some people do not allow God to refine them because to be frank, it can be painful. If you do not allow God to take you through the tests and refinement before stepping into your destiny, you will take an enormous chance of hurting others because of your immaturity, backsliding into sin because you could not handle the pressures, or not finishing what you were called to do because you lack perseverance and steadfastness.

6.      You must let God heal and uproot emotional wounds. Invest in spending intimate time with the Lord daily as He ministers and heals your heart. Your broken heart must undergo the “heart surgery” from the great physician before you can fully enter into your destiny. Remember, hurting people hurt people. Don’t run from your pain but let God expose and mend all your broken areas, then you will be much more capable of ministering to others who are in need of repair. If your destiny does not involve directly working with others, still allow God to mend any broken areas so that you can be as productive as possible. You will still be taking small steps towards your destiny as God is mending your heart and emotions.

7.      Spiritual opposition will come to discourage, delay or completely stop you. If one day it feels like you have taken two steps back or what could go wrong does, regroup again and move forward. This is where you learn about persistence and perseverance. Battles are not won all at once but one victory after another.

8.      There are those sent into your life as destiny destroyers. They come into your life to hinder and weaken your calling, usually when you are about to move forward into your destiny. Recognize and be aware of who the enemy uses as destiny destroyers in your life. The greater the destiny, the greater the warfare will be. You must know how to employ the right spiritual warfare. We battle against not flesh and blood but against principalities and rulers of this dark world. You will need to become a spiritual warrior and know how to be victorious over the attacks the enemy sends to you to defeat, discourage and stop you.

9.      Don’t curse your destiny. Speak life and truth about your destiny not words like, “I am such a failure I can’t do that.”

10.  Do something everyday towards your destiny, but remember it is God who opens and closes doors that no man can. Just be determined to do your part and let God do His part.

11.  Face your “giants- “fear, worry, doubt. Overcome and subdue your giants with Christ until they become smaller than the God that is in you. You must not cower in fear to your giants but you need to learn to conqueror each one. You must believe that you are a weapon of war, trained by God to make the enemy a footstool until the return of Christ. You must understand your authority over the kingdom of darkness and take dominion over all that God has given you.

12.  Keep focused as distractions come to derail you from what you should be doing. Distractions can come in many forms, and some are sent from the enemy.

Your destiny unfolds overtime. Knowing God’s timing is crucial. There are times we will be tested, times of learning about spiritual warfare, times of strength training, times we learn about perseverance and persistence, and times we know we are to go forward.

What do you believe your God-given destiny is? Are you ready to contend for your destiny?

Counselor's Corner: When Opposition Comes Your Way

Have you ever noticed when you are trying to move forward in the things that God wants you to do, opposition comes?

In the book of Nehemiah, opposition came to Nehemiah when he began rebuilding the walls in Jerusalem. Nehemiah was confident of his task that he had prayed about, but he received opposition immediately, during, and right before completing the wall. In every generation, there are those who resist God’s people and try to block God’s purpose. When you set out to do God’s work, some will oppose you and some will hope that you fail. The work of rebuilding the wall progressed despite the opposition and discouragement, because Nehemiah and his workers did not lose faith or give up, but they preserved because they knew God had given them an assignment to do.

Sanballat and Tobiah were two of the main opposing forces to Nehemiah. When Nehemiah almost had the wall completed, Sanballat and Tobiah realized their efforts were not working so they decided to attack Nehemiah’s character. They attacked Nehemiah personally with rumors and false reports. Personal attacks can hurt us deeply, especially when the criticism is unjustified. When you are living for God and doing His work, you may receive attacks on your character. Nehemiah overlooked and ignored the abuse, and he kept rebuilding the wall. Despite the resistance, the wall around Jerusalem was built in record time! Nehemiah kept pressing forward despite opposition, attacks on his character and false reports.

When opposition builds against you or the work you are doing for God, it can be tempting to pray, “Get me out of this Lord!” But Nehemiah prayed, “Strengthen my hands.” When Nehemiah prayed for strength, God always answered him.

Jesus even faced opposition. The Pharisees opposed Jesus!

Reflect and ponder: Have you felt opposition as you were trying to live for God or work for Him? Maybe the opposition is coming from the culture around you that is in opposition to the ways of God, or perhaps from religious groups. When you face opposition, do you quit, run and hide, or push through? What do you think God wants you to do?

In the book of Nehemiah, there were at least six types of oppositions that was encountered; you may encounter these as well as you are living for Christ. Be aware of the opposition that may come your way, so you can stand your ground and move forward.

1.      The anger of others against you.

 Most if not all of the anger will be unjustified. You most likely will feel sucker-punched by the angry blows directed towards you. When you get serious about living for God, the enemy will use people to stir anger towards you.

2.      Mockery as you take a stand for Christ.

Others will wait for you to fail, so they can say, “See, I told you Christians were no different.” Your commitment to Christ threatens godless lifestyles.

3.      Intimidation.

The enemy gets more aggressive when you don’t back down, and will use intimidation against you. The enemy uses subtle and overt intimidation against Christians. If you make a stand for truth and God’s Word, intimidation comes to back you down and cause you to stop.

4.      Discouragement and fatigue.

People usually get tired in the middle, not the beginning. The beginning of our relationship with Christ is exciting and fresh, and when we begin a new project for the Lord it can be exhilarating; but discouragement and fatigue can come strong as we are in the middle and we need a push to finish strong. Many right now just need a push to finish strong. When this happens, renew your commitment to the Lord, refresh with the Word of God, ask the Lord to strengthen you to finish strong, and gather strong supporters around you.

5.      Negative reports.

These reports can come as our enemy to our faith. Negative reports seek to derail our faith and bring us down. Remember when the spies gave their narrative of the Promised Land in Numbers 13:28-29, their report was, “We are like grasshoppers in their sight. There is no way we can take the land.”

6.      Fear.

Fear is the biggest opposition we will face, this tactic is used when all the other opposing forces have not worked against you. The enemy will use fear to paralyze you, and abort the task He has called you to do.

When opposition comes, you can run and hide, compromise, or take a stand and move forward. When you face opposition don’t get angry, take vengeance, or allow it to steal your time and focus. There is a time to confront those who oppose God’s ways, but it should never become a distraction to your purpose. In our Western culture, Christians are compromising and neglecting what God says in order to “keep peace and not offend,” sinful actions and lifestyles. As Christians we must take a stand for truth.

MEDITATE ON THESE SCRIPTURES:

Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord God, great and awesome.

Nehemiah 4:14

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord God will lift up a standard against him.

Isaiah 59:19

Moving Forward as Oppsostion Comes

Have you noticed when you decide to make a change in the right direction for God, opposition comes right after to hinder what you are trying to do?

 The enemy will oppose you or bring trouble in the beginning of moving in the direction that God has for you. Sometimes the opposition is an all-out attack in just about every area of your life. An onslaught of attacks is sent in hopes that you will cower down in defeat, despair, and eventually turn-back. The name “Satan” means adversary, and he is committed along with his dominions to oppose God and His people, especially those who are stand for truth. As long as you live in one foot in the world and live for the world’s values, Satan won’t bother you. You can go to church, and Satan does not mind that, but when you get up from your spiritual slumber and commit yourself to radical obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word, spiritual opposition comes to test you.

We are in a real, spiritual battle. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Paul specifies that believers are engaged in a spiritual battle against forces that oppose the knowledge of God.

If God has directed you to move forward and/or fulfill His will in in area in your life and opposition comes, retreat to the Lord and ask the Lord again to confirm what He wants you to do. Write down if you had not already done so what God is speaking to you. Change the atmosphere around you by saturating and soaking yourself in worship and praise. After spending devoted time to worship, you most likely will feel refreshed and can hear the Holy Spirit speaking if you were not able to before. Begin and end your day in prayer and reading the Word of God. Study and meditate the Word of God, and decree and declare what God has promised you in His Word or in your spirit. Use your prayer language (praying in the spirit) often during times of opposition. During your prayer time, Holy Spirit may lead you to fast, as some spirits are only broken through prayer and fasting. Continue to do what God has said to do, despite the opposition and soon enough the opposition will leave as you are making it known that you are not quitting. Focus on the Lord, His truth and not on the opposition. Opposition comes to stir trouble and to stop the work of the Lord.

An overcomer sees the opposition, knows it’s there, but moves on despite. If you are being opposed, hang on with a good attitude because God has blessings and breakthrough coming your way. Opposition will come when you are standing for truth, making a decision to follow and obey Christ and His Word, and/or making changes in your life that are pleasing to God. Opposition can come in the form of distractions, discouragement, frustrations, fear, and confusion. The enemy can use people or circumstances to bring opposition but keep moving forward despite the attempts to derail you. If you stop to look or listen to the opposition, you will get stuck and not be able to move ahead.