Hepzibah

God created man for a specific purpose and for all individuals there are specific assignments or purposes to be done while on earth. Man is expected to perform his assigned purpose brilliantly and attain destiny, in order to justify his creation. God has thought through the assignment carefully even before conception , therefore, no man is a mistake or a nonentity on this planet. This is confirmed in Jeremiah 29:11 , “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. God has beautiful, laudable, peaceful thoughts / plans even before creation, He created man for signs , wonders , for exploits, accomplishments and good works ( Isaiah 8:18) while on earth. Man is therefore on assignment on planet earth. How does man get to the knowledge of this assignment and carry same out?

How is Purpose Revealed?

The Bible says , the purpose, the glory and destiny of man is concealed in the mystery ,the wisdom of God but not made known to none. For it is written of which “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). That purpose is not made available to man through vision, nor though prophecy but concealed in the wisdom of God and only revealed to the carrier through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit searches the mind of God and the deep things of God and release those secrets ( 1 Corinthians 2:10-12). Recall that it was the Holy Spirit that revealed the true identity of Jesus to Peter as others had wrongly identified Him as John, Elijah, Jeremiah or even one of the prophets. Simon Peter confessed Jesus as the Son of the living God. Jesus confirmed that revelation could only have come from God, the keeper of mysteries but through the Holy Spirit. Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven ( Matthew 16:17).

The purpose / assignment of man is also revealed through the word of God as written in the volume of books . Jesus ‘s purpose on earth had been written in the volume of books ( Hebrews 10:7) and before He commenced His ministry after the temptations of the satan, His purpose was revealed. The Bible recorded that as He entered the synagogue in Nazareth, He was handed the book of prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1) and He opened it , He found the place where is purpose/ assignment had been written long before He was born ;“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19). After, revealing His purpose, He closed the book and declared that the scripture was being fulfilled and all bored witness and marvelled . Thereafter, He commenced His ministry/ assignment.

The purpose of man is concealed in volume of books written too about him , but man has a responsibility to search it out with the help of the Holy Spirit . For the Bible states in Proverbs 25:2, that It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. So Man should search out his assignments in the word of God.

The Inherent Gifts of Man

God out of His wisdom and love , created man with gifts , qualities and passions that will be needed to carry out his assignments on earth. Recall the parable of the talents in the Gospels, there was no man without a talent, the number and the quality differs depending on the assigned works. Matthew 25:15a “And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own abilities “. Part of the assignment of the Holy Spirit is to connect the “Purpose ” to the Inherent Gifts in man . Men and women of old used their gifts for their assignments and attain destiny. It was Joseph’s gift of interpretation of dreams that made him to be second in command in Egypt, Esther’s beauty made a village girl to become queen and delivered the Israelites, Apostle Paul credentials as a learned lawyer made him to stand before kings and spread the gospel widely. The Bible acknowledge that is a man gifts that will make room, expose and bring him to limelight to attain destiny. A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. ( Proverbs 18:16). Therefore, Inherent Gifts must be connected to the revealed purpose.

Determination

Having received a revelation of the purpose and the inherent gift for that purpose , the next thing is Determination of achieving the assignment. The encouragement must come from within you, be determined to forge ahead and give what it takes. Apostle Paul admonished to press forward at the goal ahead( Philippians 3:14). Remember Esther was determined in her pursuit to save her people and went into the King’s court without being called even at the point of being perished, for she said within herself “if perish, l perish!, Apostle Paul was bold to continue his journey to Jerusalem and faced the consequences. Likewise, face the tasks ahead with determination to succeed.

Analyse Your Current Potentials

Engage in an objective personal SWOT analysis of your present potentials in achieving the purpose. Determine your Strength, your Weakness, the Opportunities surrounding you and the Threats. This analysis will enable you to know what to further develop, what education and skills you need to acquire, what books you need to read and the steps you need to take to succeed.

Get Knowledge

Knowledge is powerful , A wise man is strong, Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength;( Proverbs 24:5) ,so go for knowledge, invest in it’s acquisition through books, conferences, seminars , if need be go back to school . It is only by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches ( Proverbs 24:4) . Be determined to be an expert in your calling by getting the prerequisite knowledge as only the diligent will stand before kings . Do not kill your destiny due to lack of knowledge ( Hosea 4:6).

Set Your Goals

Setting your goals on weekly, monthly or even yearly basis will not only allow you not to go in circles but it will provide you basis to measure achievements and progress in your pursuit of the revealed purpose. It motivates you to organize your time and other resources at your disposal. You can set your goals by breaking down the steps/ milestones or actions you need to go through . Trust God for His guidance , for He has promised to instruct and teach you in the way you should go ( Psalms 32:8).. ln as much as possible let the goals be SMART ( Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound) and must be written down. Goals can be adjusted in light of actual realities and adjusted.

Invest Time in Prayers

There is the need to intentionally set time for prayers for yourself and seek the face of God for actualization of this purpose . If possible embark on a spiritual retreat, remember Queen Esther specifically proclaimed a fast and prayers for 3 days not only for herself but for Jews in Susa before embarking on her strategy to liberate her people. Nehemiah did likewise Nehemiah 1:4[, So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Do likewise and take this action seriously by being conscious that it is only in asking that you will receive.. Pray especially for Divine Wisdom , favour and destiny helpers as you will need all these as you make progress in your plans . Pray against any obstacles that may come up along the way, commit all your plans to God for them to be established ( Proverbs 16:3).

Invest in Reading and Medidating on the Word

Derive your power and strength for success by reading and meditating on the word of God. Creat time to study the word on daily basis, get your inspiration for good success from the word. Joshua 1:8 says This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Be conversant with the word of God backing up your purpose, they are written words you will remind God when you face challenges in the course of fulfilling your assignment.

Commit Yourself to the Plan As Revealed

Follow the plan of as revealed by the Holy Spirit, do not be wise in your own eyes , Proverbs 3:7a says Do not be wise in your own eyes; submit to Holy Spirit to guide you so that all your plans and thoughts will be established ( Proverbs 16:3).

Hindrances to Fulfill Purpose

There are always obstacles on the way to success especially one that is Divine, but God has given us an assurance of not looking back for He has overcome the world. So don’t fall for the temptation to turn back because of the hindrances that you may faced, it is however important for you to be aware that the journey may not be that smooth. Therefore, be on the lookout for the following:

• Distraction- This is principally due to worries of different types such as finance, peer group comparison, rate of development among others. Rather than dwelling in your worries, turn them into prayers and forge ahead. Remember the words of God not to worry about anything .
• Fear of failure – This is a very common hindrance to move forward with pursuit of the discovered calling. The devil will insist fear of incompetence, failure and success, however pray for the spirit of boldness for God has not given you the spirit of fear ( 2 Timothy 1:7)
• Association / Alliance – Beware of the people you move with in this season in your life. Walk and relate with like- minded people, the Bible says iron sharpens iron, so relate with people that are vision and focus driven. Rebuke any words that are opposing to your purpose and do away with bad fiends and associates that can influence you negatively.
• Sin- Sin within you will open door for the enemy and Satan to stop you to forge ahead . Review your life style, be obedient to the word of God , close all doors that will penetrate Satan , the destiny killer by living a life of holiness and righteousness like Joseph ( Genesis 39:9)
• Laziness – Both spiritual and physical laziness can be hindrances to forge ahead in your purpose. Laziness to develop your spiritual life by reading the words of God , be in presence of God and even submit to fasting and night vigil. There is also the tendency to be lazy to develop and acquire the necessary skills and academics in the areas of incompetences.
• Cutting Corners – Cutting corners or being involved with unethical activities to fast track the process of actualization will not only be an hindrance but sinful. Remember you cannot run ahead of destiny, the vision is for an appointed time, there is set time by God to perfect all things that concern you. Be patient and wait for God to perfect what He has revealed to you. Be careful not to produce Ishmael as Abraham while pursuing his call as father of nations, but be patient for the Isaac – the promised child. Hold on to the faithfulness of God.

Case Study- It is worth looking at the case study of a man that accomplished his assignments/ calling; Gideon. He was called to save the Israelites from the hands of the Midiantes ( Judges 6:14). He didn’t know he had been equipped for this assignment for the angel called him ” a mighty man of valor”( Judges 6:12). He had been endowed with three distinct characteristics/ virtues – strength, courage and passion( resilience)

Conclusion

Always have it behind your mind , the great thoughts and good works that God has for you. You are His workmanship, created in Jesus for good works ( Ephesians 2:10) and it has been prepared beforehand so that you can walk in them. You can only live a fulfilled life by walking along the paths already set for you ( Psalms 91:16) God has equally equipped you with gifts for the beforehand tasks. The Holy Spirit had been mandated to revealed the hidden tasks to you and see you through the actualization process.The ball is in your hand , what are you waiting for ?

Do you have a revelation of your purpose or you think is too late to start seeking for a revelation? Age is not a barrier to walking in purpose and fulfilment of destiny. The Bible says when the Spirit of God is poured on all flesh even the old men shall dream dreams ( Joel 2:28). , that is, the hidden tasks can still be discovered through dreams and the old will bear fruits ( Psalms 92;14 )- attain destiny. As a youth , be committed to discover your visions and walk in it.

Revelation of the tasks is a continuous one . Remember, we know in parts and the revelation you have received may only be part of the whole picture! ( 1 Corinthians 13:9), especially in view of the many gifts and talents that are yet to be used for the glory of God. Remember the parable of the talents , you may have multiple purposes and callings , which you have to walk in and fulfill. If the revelation is only about one purpose, continue searching the volume of books of all that have been written of you beforehand through the help of the Holy Spirit.

Do not be discouraged nor dismayed if they are challenges or obstacles on the way. People of old in pursuit of their purposes faced and overcame challenges , you can equally do likewise. Be constantly aware that you are on a mission on this planet, you are sent from God to fulfill a purpose that MUST be accomplished . He that is sent from above,is above all limitations ( John 3:31) So set out , be on course and be an achiever, complete your assignment and fulfill destiny with the help of the Holy Spirit.