“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Philippians 4:13
Have you ever heard the phrase: ‘anything worth having is worth fighting for’? The statement suggests that something of value won’t be easy to obtain. The dream job won’t just be given to you. The salesperson at Apple won’t just hand you the latest iPhone. You won’t automatically win on Call of Duty without putting in some type of work. These examples are just minor but think about it on a larger scale. Think about your destiny or purpose. Purpose is “the reason for which something is done or created” while destiny is “the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future” (definitions from Oxford Languages). We all have a common goal to spread the gospel, but how we do so is likely to be different and tailor-made to who we are individually. God knows each of us: what we can handle, our personalities, our history. And His word assures us that there is a plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11 (AMP) “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
While there is a path for you to take, the road to your destiny will not be easy. You will encounter things that can try to stop you or keep you from reaching the destination but remember that God will not give an assignment that He won’t equip you to get through. One of those tools He provides you with is His word: the Bible. This scripture is quoted often: “I can do all things through Christ who strengths me” (Philippians 4:13). That declaration lets you know that there is nothing too hard to accomplish as long as God is with you and providing the strength to do it. And there are other decrees that you can speak over your life or a situation. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Which basically says that we will overcome because of God, who loves us. “And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them” (Deuteronomy 28:13). As believers and followers of Christ we are above and not beneath as members of a royal priesthood because of Who our Father is. It is important to know who you are in Christ and use what God gives you to reach your destiny.
For instance, I’m currently in a class, and I had to take the first test a few weeks ago. I felt completely unprepared, but I prayed before I took that test. I just wanted to pass, really, with a ‘C’ at least. It took five hours for me to complete that test, and even after I submitted it, I felt okay about it. I didn’t think I aced it, but I also didn’t think I failed. But you know how that goes. You can take a test and feel so good about it and actually bomb it or take it and think you failed but you actually aced it. Anybody else experience that? Maybe three days later, I checked my school email and discovered the test had been graded. I was nervous and didn’t want to look, but I knew it would still be the same whether I found out that day or the next. At some point, I’d have to know. So, I logged onto my account and found out that not only did I pass but I got a ‘B’! I immediately thanked God for that and all the other ways He’s brought me through each semester of school so far. God has a way of working things out, but it’s up to us to ask Him for it as Matthew 7:7 reminds us, saying “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
I would also like to share a testimony that a member of my church shared recently. He is a college student who took a tough math course: Calculus 3. As the semester went by, it looked as if he was going to fail, and he was almost certain he would. However, he prayed about it, asking God to help him pass the class, and still tried his best on the work. By the time the final rolled around, he felt optimistic that he would do well on it. He prayed and studied. All that was left was to take it. So, he did, feeling good about it afterward. A couple days later he found a 69 listed for his final. He contacted the professor to find out where he went wrong on the test and what he could do differently next semester. The professor assured him that the projected grade was a mistake! He passed the exam, and therefore, the class! God has a way of working things out. He hears our prayers. He’s still in the blessing business.
Sharing our testimonies is a part of how we spread the gospel, or you can spread the good news through videos, a blog, art, or some other talent you have. Sharing your experience can help others. It can be the encouragement for someone else. It’s been said that you can be the only bible that some people read, which suggests that your actions, character, and testimony may be the only way they get introduced to or learn of Christ. That’s why it is so important that as Christians we must exhibit Godly principles at all times because you never know who may be watching. But rest assured whatever is part of your destiny, you can do it with God on your side and as long as you keep Him first, believe in His word, and use the tools He’s given you. So, this video by Marvin Sapp reminds us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens and directs us. Remember to declare who you are and what you can do, but also ask God for help along the way to fulfilling your purpose. No matter what it is, remember that ‘yes, you can do it.’
Andréa Hardaway 