“The people who have significant input into your life shape who you’ll become and what you’ll do.” ~ Steven Furtick
God has something He wants you to accomplish in this life, a destiny, that only you can fulfill.
The enemy of your soul, Satan, has a destiny for you too, and it’s very simple; to derail you from God’s plans for you.
God will often use people to guide you on your journey and He often uses the friendships you have in fulfilling His calling on your life.
The people that influence you will affect your destiny.
We are easily impacted by our peers. Our attitudes will be inspired by those we allow to speak into our lives.
This is why it’s so critical that you take an honest look at all your relationships.
The people you surround yourself with will either influence you towards God’s calling on your life, or away from it.
For example, when my husband and I were separated back in 2003, many people would tell us that we should file for divorce. Men in my husband’s life at the time would say to him, “Divorce happens, children survive. It’s best you look out for yourself.”
My counselor at the time said to me, “he’s never going to change. You really need to start the divorce.”
I’m so grateful that Jesus came and rescued us during this season when we both committed our lives to Him.
After we became Christians, we made new friends that had a different perspective on life and marriage. These friends would challenge us with questions like, “what is the Lord telling you to do at this time?”
Many God-honoring people began to speak truth into our marriage, and encouraged us to use our experiences to help others heal their marriages. Our journey of restoration has since been used by God to help other broken marriages.
How about you? Who is in your influential sphere? Do the individuals in your life push you to be all that God wants for you, or do they keep you stagnant?
Be conscientious of those that influence you, making sure they are people that encourage you to move towards your calling.
God wants you to reach your destiny, but He doesn’t force it on you. He has given you free will and you are, therefore, responsible for your choices. You have to be wise with your choices, especially when it comes to picking your friends.
You must also be wise to the enemy’s schemes. He will always try to derail you so that you don’t reach the fullness of God’s calling on your life.
Take the time to sit quietly with your Creator and seek Him and His will for you. Ask Him to shine His light on any individuals that you may need to gently step away from, or others that you need to surround yourself with.
May you be brave and courageous to take whatever steps He asks of you, and be one step closer to the destiny He planned for you long before you were born. As you do so, know that you can trust His timing and His plans for your life. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
Please leave me a comment below on what may be in the way of you fulfilling your destiny?
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. ~ Psalm 139:16
photo 1 credit: Getty Images
photo 2 credit: Nikki Randall Photography
So true, and so important. I was reminded that it doesn’t mean that we have to end certain friendships, but that we may have friends that we process some matters with and some friends that we enjoy on a different level. Very helpful share. Thanks!
Will,
That’s an excellent point! Thank you for sharing it here. 🙂
Another well written post Tweeny! There is so much wisdom coming out of your posts. Please be encouraged that He’s using you by speaking truth in these posts. That is a creative way to use Jeremiah 29:11. I was going to highlight one phrase you said but then realized I’d be highlighting most of your post. Keep shining for Him!
Ah… Elizabeth, you continue to BLESS me so much!!! You have no idea! Thank you so much for your kind words. You are a great encourager!!! May the Lord bless you sis!
🙂
Hello Tweeny,
Thanks for your inspiring piece. I really liked reading it and it made me think how much gratitute I have for our Heavenly Father for His mercy and grace with the gift of our Savior and how we are given a second chance to know how to glorify Him. These last 4 years while attending Harvest, God has showed me that He created me to be the perfect helper to my husband. It has been very challenging but I am learning that with God’s help the habits that separate us, need to be replaced with respect and submission to my husband. When I do that everything flows with joy. God always provides the tools we need and your blog is one of those. Thank you.
Dear Susana,
Thank you for your comment. I love what you shared. As wives, we have a huge impact in helping our husbands reach their destiny. We can build them up or tear them down. Thank you!!!
🙂