4 Steps to the Next Phase of Your Destiny

Are you in transition right now, looking for what’s next in your life?

Or, do you just want to enhance where you are in life currently? Regardless of your present position, you should desire to engage in the will of God for your life because it’s the race of your life.

In fact, we should want not only to engage in the will of God but to fulfill it. Many people have a vision of where they want to go or where they believe God is leading them. Yet in reality, those plans and visions don’t always happen in the time or the way we thought they would happen. Therefore, we can get discouraged along the way.

In Hebrews 12:1-2, the Bible says: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

It is possible to get weary and discouraged in your soul, but let’s focus for a second on the phrase “on the race that is set before us.” The Amplified Bible Classic Edition says, “…let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.” The Living Bible translation says, “and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.”

Evidently, there is a race that God has for everyone, but it’s unique to each one of us as individuals. That race, of course, is in parallel with the will of God for your life. This specific race that God has designed for you enables you to run to find, fulfill, and follow the will of God for your future. There is a particular course to which God has called you. Each person has individual fingerprints and is unique before God. When it comes to running the race of your life successfully, I’ve found there are four steps you will need to process.

Step 1: Get in the Race

The first race you have to get into is the race at hand. Learn all you can learn, become all you can become, and then pick up some of the stuff around you. Not everything you need to succeed is a subject that will be taught. What I mean by that is that there will be some experiences or moments in your life that will teach you more than what you will learn in a classroom or seminar. Pay attention to those seasons.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:24 (AMPC), “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours.”

You need to be present in the race that is at hand and refuse to run half-heartedly. You want to run your race to win the prize! The apostle Paul writes in verse 26, “Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.” In other words, you need to have a goal and focus in order to get there. Run with certainty!

Some people in life have completely checked out on the race that God has set before them. Usually this is because they have been hurt or mistreated. In any major city in the United States, there are plenty of homeless men and women under bridges and sometimes in churches. We pray for them, and we should help them. But many of those folks have checked out on the race they are destined to run because of the circumstances surrounding them. I’m not criticizing them. In reality, because of the hurt, the lies of the devil, or situations like addictions, they’ve checked out on the race of life.

You need to make sure you are focused on running the race God has for you. You cannot check out!

Step 2: Persist in the Face of Resistance

In the race of life, you don’t have to be perfect. God has already finished the work in Christ. You will face resistance in this life, but you can overcome it with the grace of God.

I heard this quote for the first time in 1981, and it still impacts me today: “All good things are upstream.” What does that mean? It means that when it comes to the good things in your life, you will encounter some resistance. Andrew Wommack, well-known minister, author, and Charis Bible College founder, says, “If you and the devil are going in the same direction, you’re probably not going to run into a lot of resistance.”

Think of a seed planted in soil. When that seed is in the soil, what does the soil provide for that seed? The first thing it provides is warmth and protection. The soil also provides basic nourishment: the minerals and moisture for the seed to be able to grow. And the soil provides resistance to make the seed strong. The weight of the soil on the seed provides resistance to the budding plant so when the plant breaks out of the kernel of the seed, it begins to move the weight of the soil.

One of the reasons God designed it that way is so when the plant ultimately breaks through the soil and comes out into the sunlight, it is strong enough to survive. In other words, when the wind blows hard and the sun beats down or the heavy rain pours, the plant can handle the elements that deliver what the seeds needs—moisture, warmth, and light. If the plant does not encounter resistance, the very elements intended to bring growth will actually bring death.

When you face resistance, know that God is preparing you. Most people give up at the first sign of difficulty; but if you persist, you will be able to move into the fullness of what God has planned for your life.

Step 3: Order over Perfection

God is not looking for you to be perfect. We know in Christ we have been made perfect in the righteousness of God. We know that in Christ we are new creatures. But most people think perfection means they can never make any mistakes in life; that is not the case. I believe God is looking for growth and improvement on its way to perfection or maturity.

The truth is, in this life you’re going to make some mistakes. God knows it. You know it, and I know it. Sometimes things just happen, and it may not even be intentional. For example, when driving, have you ever pulled out in front of another car and you didn’t mean to? Maybe you really didn’t even see the car? I’ve done that before. The point is that we are not perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes; it’s expected. The most important thing is that there is order in your life.

There are five primary areas of your life that require order so you can prosper: family, feelings, faith, friends, and finances. Order means that you’re not overly distracted in any one of these five areas. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word distraction as “an object that directs one’s attention away from something else.” There are many reasons why it’s important not to be distracted. But the foremost reason is that the Holy Spirit might need to show you something—and if you’re distracted, you won’t see it.

Step 4: Promote Growth

John Maxwell said, “Most people live and die in a non-growth environment.” Think about it. We go to school for twelve years, then we graduate high school. Some may move on to college for four years, and others still may go into a master’s program. Even fewer people will graduate with doctorate degrees. The point is that most people stop learning the day they graduate from high school. After high school, most people step into some kind of job that may turn into a career. When you ask how long they’ve been at a company, they probably say, “I have 25 years of experience.” That’s not necessarily true. They may have one year of experience 25 times.

My wife’s uncle was a great man. He was one of the gentlest human beings I’ve ever known. I asked him one time, “Uncle Donald, tell me what you do at Dow Chemical?” He said, “Well, I drive a forklift.” I asked if he did anything else, and he told me sometimes they played cards. I then asked him if he was happy with his job, and he said he loved it. He went on to say that he retired after forty years of driving the forklift for Dow Chemical.

I love Uncle Donald, and I’m not criticizing him. However, he didn’t have forty years of experience. He learned how to drive the forklift the first year. He loved it, and that’s what he chose for his life’s work. Don’t deceive yourself. Most people live and die in a non-growth environment because they don’t continue to advance.

The Race of Your Season

In order to find, follow, and fulfill the will of God, you need to get in the race of life. Then, you need to steward the season that you find yourself in to ultimately propel forward.

Hebrews 6:12 says that through faith and patience they inherited the promises. Keep your faith on where you’re headed and what you’re expecting. Apply patience to your faith so you stay in the season you’re in. You don’t abandon the baby before it’s born. You stay with the incubation period until what God has for your life is birthed, and then you enter into a new season and a new time.

Pregnant with Purpose

Every season that you go through in life will be pregnant with purpose. Steward the season you’re in to go into the next season.

I reached a level of financial independence in my life, but I did it for all the wrong reasons. I didn’t realize God was letting me do that in order to teach me and show me a future I never even knew was possible. When I was building my wealth, God was preparing me for my purpose.

If we were to take all the money in the world and divide it up evenly, it would all be back in the same hands in a short period of time. Work on maturing in the season you’re in so that you grow. After you mature and prepare in that season, God will start dropping things off at the job site of your life.

How do I know what God is doing? I look to see what kind of materials God is dropping off at my job site. When I was younger, I always used to try to kick down every metaphorical door of opportunity. Now, I wait for a door to open or a door to close, and then I steward it. When a door opens, even if I’m not comfortable with it, it’s my job to walk through it.

But listen! I don’t only watch the materials that God is dropping off at my job site; I also watch the people. I wouldn’t be writing this book if it weren’t for my initial relationship with certain people. I recognize the materials, and then God brings divine connections. Just about everything God does in your life, He does through relationships.

I was lying in bed one night when my phone rang. My wife asked who it was, but I didn’t recognize the number. The area code was from Woodland Park, Colorado, which is where my good friend Andrew Wommack lived. I had a feeling it might be Andrew, and my wife told me I better call him back. Yet, it was 9:30 at night so I wasn’t really sure I wanted to do that. My wife said, “You’re going to get up, put your regular clothes on, sit on the couch, and talk to him.” I saluted her, got up, and called Andrew.

He apologized for calling so late, but he told me that he had been up praying. He asked if I would want to be on his board of directors, which is not what I was expecting at all. I got up off the couch and approached my wife who was still in bed. I told her that I was going to turn him down, but she reminded me what I am telling you here—wait to see what God is dropping off at your job site. Steward the materials, steward the relationships, and mature in each season.

Spiritual protocol and honor will hold you in place like an anchor on a ship in a storm. They will hold you in place until you can see the wind laid down and the sun begin to shine. This passage in Luke truly helped me understand being anchored in a season of maturing: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trust- worthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16:10-12 NIV)

Meditate on that Scripture regardless of your current season. The first thing Jesus says in that Scripture passage is, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” That means you have to be faithful in small things that nobody else can see you doing—the stuff nobody thinks is important. That can include clean- ing the bathrooms and vacuuming the carpet. Begin by being faithful in what is least or seems little.

The Race of Your Destiny

Proverbs 19 and 20 speak about the purpose of God. Proverbs 20:5 (NIV) says, “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.” Let’s consider a life application of this Scripture.

I came from South Texas where we caught a two types of fish—largemouth bass and crappie. When we fished for largemouth bass, we used worms or other lures as bait. When we fished for crappie, we used little jigs.

Later I lived on the coast, so we would catch red fish, speckled trout, and flounder, which meant we used different bait for each yet again. Eventually, I moved to Colorado where it took me a long time to really learn how to fly-fish.

In all these places, you can catch some fish in the warmer weather on the top. However, the truth is that 90 percent of all fish are caught deeper in the water, and 98 percent of all big fish are caught even deeper still.

It’s the same with purpose. The purposes in a person’s heart are like deep water, but a person of insight or understanding will draw them out. Most of us think that God is going to show up and just slap us upside the head to give us purpose and vision. Most of us are looking for a Damascus Road experience as Paul had (see Acts 9:1-31). Yet, God’s Word is telling us that purposes run deep, and we must draw them out.

Think about this. You’re in at least three races: the race of life; the race of your current season; and the race of your destiny or your purpose.

I remember the first time God led me outside of ministry and over into business in a big way. Honestly, I misread the whole situation. I thought it was all about me and what I could get. Then I found out it had nothing to do with me, what I had done, or what I had made. That was just a bunch of self-centered junk.

God had a purpose in teaching me and one of the first things I learned was how to handle big money. Once that first big “fish” came up, God showed me how important it was for me to learn about money because of a new destiny into which He was taking me. When that happened, I learned to think differently, talk differently, and see differently.

I also had to learn to stop trying to go back to where I was before. It’s human nature to want to return to what’s familiar and comfortable, but that’s not where your purpose lies. If I had gone back, which I was sorely tempted to do, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today. You wouldn’t be reading this article right now.

Four Steps to Knowing What’s Next in Life

I have learned that God takes us through four steps when we are looking for what’s next in our lives. The following are some ways you can draw out purpose and prepare for what’s ahead.

1 . Preparation

Anytime you step into what’s next in your life, there always will have been a season of preparation. I remember reading the story of Jehoiachin, who was freed from prison. As I read the passage, I remember saying under my breath, “Lord, why did this happen? All the other kings were there, but You only elevated and favored Jehoiachin. You make it clear throughout Scriptures that You don’t show favoritism. So why would You show favor to Jehoiachin and not the other kings? Why was he unique?”

After praying, I went back to study the meaning of Jehoiachin’s name using a reference book called Hitchcock Bible Names. Jehoiachin’s name means “preparation.” It was a very common practice in ancient times to name people prophetically or to rename them in stories based on how they lived. Jehoiachin’s name tells us something important. He was in prison for thirty-seven years before he was lifted up and shown favor. Yet, since his name meant “preparation,” I think it’s safe to assume he prepared during those thirty-seven years. I believe he kept his heart in the right place and his mind active. And I believe that Jehoiachin never gave up but continually prepared himself for the next step.

2. Shift in Peace and Presence

I remember when the Lord was leading me into real estate full time. I already owned quite a few investment properties, but it seemed the Lord was shifting my direction. I felt the peace of God start shifting me and work I liked before I didn’t like anymore. At first, I got this uneasy feeling on the inside and thought it was just my flesh. But I just kept feeling the shift.

Even areas where I had really felt the presence of God in that sea- son, I no longer felt the same presence. Those areas no longer meant the same thing to me. In fact, for two years I did not want to stand up and teach anybody. Whether it was business or preaching, I did not want to do it. I felt a distaste for certain things, and I had to go through a process of mind renewal.

3. Confirmation from Other People

When you’re moving into a new season, there will be provision. Where God guides, He provides. There also will be affirmation from others. Whenever God leads you into new seasons, He also will pro- vide godly mentors and advisors to help you know how to take those next steps.

However, you have to be careful with whose opinions you allow to matter to you. Consider the opinions from the five or so people closest people to you. When they start seeing you shift, they will confirm what God is pulling toward you. Sometimes God speaks to other people, so make sure you’re listening with discernment.

4. God Leads in Small Steps

Typically when God leads you, it will be in small steps. The will of God is usually not eighteen steps from where you are now. Start by putting your toes in the water, and then submerge your feet. Before you know it, you are waist deep in what God has for you. As you focus on taking the next right step, before you realize it, you will have walked up a full staircase.

Get the Timing Right

Most people misunderstand timing because they think that God is arbitrarily giving and taking. God has already done everything He’s going to do on the cross. That’s why Roman’s 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” King David said, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” (Psalm 16:6 NIV). God has no favorites, so if He’ll give David the proper boundaries for his life, then God has a boundary for your life too.

Paul says it this way, “We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us” (2 Corinthians 10:13). There is a measure God has put around each one of our lives that we are supposed to fulfill. It took me years to learn that. I thought I was supposed to have what everybody else had. What is God saying your boundary is? What is God saying your measure is?

Remember that we’re reading Hebrews chapter 12, which says, “… the race that is set before us.” That race set before you is your destiny and purpose, and your race has a boundary or a measure.

When I use the term boundary, I don’t mean that you are limited. I don’t know what your boundary is, but I know that your boundaries have fallen to you in pleasant places. People often try early on to jump right into their full boundary or destiny, which is like giving a 10-year-old the keys to the family car. They couldn’t handle it if they got there, which is why you need to grow and mature in each season.

Learn to discern the times and the season. That will allow you to function in patience, and through faith in patience, you inherit the promises. If you understand where you’re supposed to be but there are some parts you don’t like, don’t worry about it. Your boundaries have fallen to you in pleasant places.

I declare over you like the apostle Paul said that you won’t press beyond your measure. If you press beyond your measure that’s self-promotion and disobedience. If you press beyond your measure, then you won’t get what you’re supposed to get in the maturation process. You won’t get what you need that qualifies and prepares you for the next step.

Finding your purpose and fulfilling God’s will for your life can feel daunting. But keep in mind the things we’ve discussed here.   Get in the race of your life, steward the race of your season, and draw out the race of your destiny.