The Powerful Impact of a Man that Knows His Destiny

What value is there in knowing your destiny is guaranteed and will be better than your best day in this life?

I know where I will end up after I have breathed my last breath on earth. When my lungs collapse for the last time, I will no longer be present in this body. I will be with my God. I will be absent from this body, and present with the Lord. There is great value in knowing this.

Journey to Knowing My Destiny

A Memory

I am fortunate to have a memory from my younger days that has helped me develop a strong faith. God used this memory to draw me to Him years ago.

Before my teen years, my grandfather heard these words, “Bill, you have cancer, and the prognosis is not good.” Shortly after hearing this, he shared this news with our family. As tears flowed from those who loved him, he said these words. “Do not cry for me. I know where I am going. I will be with my Lord. It will be better than anything this world has to offer. If anyone should be crying, it should be me because you guys have to stay here.”

God etched this scene and those words into my mind and on my heart. I will never forget my grandfather in those days as he stood face to face with death. God’s strength was evident in him, and it made a deep impression on me. I was twelve years old when he died.

Years later, I went through difficult times. I was twenty-five years old. It was at this time the memory of my grandfather consumed my thoughts. He was a great man. Boldly, yet graciously he followed Christ with all his heart. Everyone wanted to be around him. He had this great sense of humor. He was a big influence in my love for trout fishing and the outdoors that continues today. I think about him often.

While I was going through tough times, I remembered how he never complained during his last days. He remained faithful and strong in spirit as his body shut down, and he faced imminent death. I have one distinct memory sitting next to him at breakfast. While eating cereal, I watched him stop in mid-stride as if his body was sputtering on its last bit of energy. I remember thinking, “My Pap-pap is dying before my eyes.” It was hard to watch.

But my grandfather knew where he was going. He understood that the pain and suffering he was enduring was temporary. He knew these words.

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

It was incredible to watch him in those months leading up to his death. When in the hospital, he would joke with the nurses and everyone around him. He had a personality and spirit that drew people to him. Years later, my grandmother shared with me; there was only one time he came close to complaining. One night he was in so much pain he said he wished the Lord would take him home. That was the closest he came to a complaint. He knew Christ was the answer to this life and the next. I knew that about him. I saw him read his Bible. I heard him talk about Jesus in day to day conversation.

A Decision

One day at 25 years old, I went into a Christian bookstore and bought a Life Application Bible. I am not sure how I knew what to buy, but that’s what I did. I took it home and began reading it. Over the next few weeks, I read the entire thing. I don’t know how to say it other than the words in that Book came alive to me. As I read, it became like a personal message explicitly written to me.

Because I spent time in church, and my mom shared what the Bible says about salvation in Jesus, I knew the basics.

I became very aware that I had done wrong in the eyes of God. The fear of God came over me. I was confident that if I died, I was going to hell. I earned that many times over. Later I learned that everyone is in that boat. (All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23) You don’t have to be this great sinner. One sin and we fall short of God’s glory, His perfection. But Christ died for those sins. He took my place on the cross. I knew this was the answer.

It was during this time in my life that I prayed God would guide me into saving faith and into a relationship with Christ. I prayed that His death would be the full payment for my penalty. I prayed God would accept me not based on my actions but on the actions and merit of Jesus Christ.

A Solid Foundation

Today, I know I am accepted by Almighty God. He is the most powerful force that exists. He accepts me through faith in the finished work of Christ. Nothing can change this. No one will remove me from His hand. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29)

Nothing in all creation will separate me from the love of God. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

It is powerful to live knowing that no matter what life brings, this will never change. There is freedom in knowing your destiny. I have no concern about where my journey in this life will end. I know there is a connection between where I am today and where I will be in the future. I know, like my grandfather knew, that where I am going will be far greater than the best experiences this life has to offer. “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Results of Knowing My Destiny

Being ready to die prepares you to live.

I know my future. It stands on a solid foundation. Knowing my future makes a powerful difference in the way I live today.

No Fear of Death

Because God has written my end in stone, I am free to be bold in the face of certain death. We all die. We must face this fact. I have, and I am ready for that day. I do not fear death. I have seen the strength of the faithful on their death bed. There is no fear in them.

“Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Always Accepted

I know my destiny is in the hands of God, so I do not worry about being accepted by others. God accepts me. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) Being accepted by Him enables me to live without concern for other’s opinions. I do not need acceptance to feel good about myself. God has already accepted me. There is great power in this.

Validation

I can be who God designed me to be. I do not need validation from others. I am in Christ. In Christ, I have all the validation I need. Ephesians, a book in the Bible, speaks of who I am due to this relationship. It has been one of my favorite books. Interestingly it was also one of my grandfather’s favorites.

Free to Fight and Take Risk

I am free to take risks. Too often, men are afraid to lose. This fear prevents them from taking action. I do not fear losing battles in this life. I know that in the end, through Christ, I have already won the war. So I am free to fight battles here and now and fight them hard. I am free to lead and make the decisions I should make. Fear does not hinder me from taking action.

Life with Purpose

I have a purpose tied to my final destination. My God created me for a purpose, saved me to a mission, and holds my destiny in His hands. In the end, I strive to hear these words. “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Having a purpose is a powerful driver in the life of a man.

Forgiven and Moving Forward to Live

God has forgiven me. I can now drop the baggage of the past and move on to live. “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14) Forgiveness enables me to move forward and truly live. Forgiveness opens the door to enjoy life fully. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Strength in Going Alone

As a leader, I face many decisions that can make a man feel alone on an island. But I am comfortable being “alone” because my reality is I am never truly alone. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

God is always with me and will never leave me. Because of this, I am okay with walking “alone.” In walking alone, I find greater strength because I am reliant upon Him.

Hope

I always have hope. Where I will end up will be far greater than the most incredible experiences this life has to offer. I have days ahead that will be my best days. There is no doubt about that. I always have something to look forward to in the future. Having this hope can keep a man moving forward in the worst of times. I’ve seen this.

Stability in Storms

I have stability in life. Building my house on the rock, I have strength in the storms of life. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

God is my rock. “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” (Psalm 62:2) Nothing will ever shake me from this firm foundation. I am stable in Him. In the world we live in, stability is a valuable thing.

Life brings storms. But I know the One that brings peace in storms. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

30 Days to Knowing Your Destiny

What about you? Do you know your destiny? Are you ready for death? Being ready can have a powerful impact on life.

In addition to my grandfather, I had a wise great uncle. Uncle Paul was a WWII veteran. He fought in the Philippines and France and had a piece of shrapnel in his shin as a result. He came home, went to Philadelphia College of the Bible, and became a pastor. At twenty-five, I talked to Uncle Paul about my faith. He told me the best way to know God saved me was to read the Bible and allow God to confirm this in my spirit. He recommended I read through the book of 1 John. John wrote this book for this reason. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

1 John is a short book. It is only five chapters long. Uncle Paul suggested I read one chapter a day and continue reading a chapter a day for 30 days straight. See the example below.

• Day 1 – Read 1 John chapter 1
• Day 2 – Read 1 John chapter 2
• Day 3 – Read 1 John chapter 3
• Day 4 – Read 1 John chapter 4
• Day 5 – Read 1 John chapter 5
• Day 6 – Read 1 John chapter 1

Days 7 through Day 30 would continue following this pattern. In the end, you read 1 John six times. Every day before reading, I prayed God would show me whether or not I have eternal life. If not, I prayed He would guide me to the point where I would know for sure that I do.

I believe the person that genuinely has eternal life will produce evidence that God’s Spirit resides in them. Their thoughts and actions will change in ways that align with what is written in the Bible.

I have given Uncle Paul’s advice to many doubters over the years. I allow God by His Spirit to confirm they are children of God and have eternal life. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16)

Settling your future brings great freedom in the present. Do you want to know more? Reach out to me. I would love to help you on your journey. Contact me via email or DM me on Twitter @Men_of_Grit.

If you have comments, questions or feedback put them in the comments section below. I am always interested in hearing from you.

In your corner,

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.