Can You Know Your Destiny for Certain?

Have you ever reflected on what you could have done in life if only circumstances had been different? Getting bogged down in the old “if-only entrapment” that served as justification for your underachievement, you could have pursued a different pathway to contentment.

When I was attending college, I met a man in his late twenties who confessed he could not read and was unable to complete an application for employment he was pursuing. He was intelligent, as confirmed by his vocabulary and ability to communicate.

This person demonstrated accountability and creativity by enrolling in programs designed to help those with dyslexia learn to read and write by unconventional methods. In Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus, disease and poverty could not dissuade Lazarus from his faith in God’s care as he battled to survive each day. While some situations cannot be overcome, faith provides the will to endure. 

__________ 

 For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 

~Philippians 2:13 New International Version 

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 

~John 15:5 New International Version

_________

Subscribe to the Attitudes Answers podcast on your favorite podcast platform to hear this and other 2-minute features 3 days every week.

Faith: A Bridge to Survival

Jacob had a significant dream when he was running for his life. God promised him he would protect him, bless him, and bring him back to his homeland. Jacob believed God, which gave him confidence to endure the hard times that were to come his way. The power of faith God entrusted to Jacob built a bridge that guaranteed his survival.

Believing in your heart and mind that God is you friend, your redeemer and protector encourages a resilience that withstands defeat.  Laban, Jacob's father-in-law, changed his wages ten times over twenty years.  Each time they agreed on a wage Laban changed the rules, so Jacob was always indebted to him.

Jacob was assured of God’s faithfulness when in his dream God reminded him, "I am the God of Bethel where you built an altar and anointed it with oil in reverence to me and where you made vows to me. Now leave this land and return to your homeland.” God doesn't overlook our flaws, but sin’s penalty is superseded by his grace, his unmerited pardon, and his mercy.

Navigating the Path of Change - Part 1

Frustration and change can walk together along the same path. However, frustration isn’t the only companion to accompany change. Excitement, anxiety, a sense of relief, dread, gladness, grief and joy are other feelings that parallel change. Life itself is a mystery simply because each day may bring unpredictable change.

Mystery and change require faith to cope with not knowing all the facts. The Apostle Paul regarded himself as a servant of Christ and one entrusted with the mysteries and secret things of God. Yet he readily confessed to knowing only in part but longed for the day when he could know completely.

Serious Christians are rarely content with knowing or understanding only partially the mysteries of God. God gives insight about himself, yourself, and others as you mature in faith and service. God’s plan for you is always good, so he helps you make choices that will secure the changes he desires for you.