Troy Escalade Jackson was soon gone at 38 years of age. He had done the impossible, created an image for himself and was rising to stardom in an unusual way, but then he was gone. The world of sports and marketing missed an hero of a kind. Was that destiny or fate? Was that God’s original plan for him? We may never know but one thing is sure, he had his choices and he made them. Did those choices affect his life, Yes!
So, while destiny may not give us the opportunity to choose when we were born, where we were born into, the decisions our parents made that affected us, nor the decisions of those who mattered to our lives such as siblings and political leaders, yet, the moment we began to make our own decisions, we had a role to play with how we end up.
Jonathan the son of King Saul of the Kingdom of Israel, was destined by birth to be King after his father but his father was doomed to lose the throne to a shepherd boy. Jonathan accepted his fate according to the prophecy but made decisions that salvaged his lineage from destruction. His father and all his siblings literally perished but his son, Mephibosheth, though lame, fulfilled his days. On the other hand, Jonathan could have walked by his father to ensure the kingdom became his. he could also have connived with David to wrest the kingdom from his father and kept himself alive as the deputy king according to the covenant agreement between them, but he chose to be upright in his deeds. Jonathan had a choice in his fate/destiny.
Therefore, as always, the creator (God) has a purpose for his creation (you) before it was made (before you were born).
Before you were born I knew you…
Jeremiah 1:5
Yet to an extent, your fate is in your hands. Nothing about your destiny is cast in stones, the direction you are facing today will determine how you end up tomorrow. Wait… think about it for a moment because that means that you can change direction anytime. Is it up to you alone? No.
“You could see my bones grow as my body took shape, hidden in my mother’s womb”
“Your eyes looked upon my embryo, and everything was recorded in your book. The days scheduled for my formation were inscribed, even though not one of them had come yet.”
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book all my days were recorded, even those which were purposed before they had come into being.”
Psalms 139: 15 (ERV), Ps 139:16 (ISV), Ps 139:16 (BBE)
Breonna Taylor was trying to change the course direction of her life and make the best of her future but then, her past decisions caught up with her. She was unfortunate because she was caught up in a web made up of wrong relationships, an imperfect system, wrong timing and location, and a myriad of factors. Was her fate completely in her hands? No. Did she try hard to make it? Yes.
The issue of destiny might be complex but the summary is this; Whatever situations life brings your way, ensure that you make the best of them. Make the best decisions today so that at the end of it all, you can definitely say, “I tried”. To make the best of life is to seek the truth and live by it. It is to seek wisdom and embrace it. It is to take responsibilities for what you can handle and make prompt decisions about them. Then, leave the rest in the hands of the creator and trust him to make it good.
Cast all your anxieties and all your cares upon him, for he cares for you” (paraphrase-mine)
1 Peter 5: 7
To know more about the subject of Destiny, check out this online daily course – it would take you just 10 minutes each day for 16 days to complete it.
You have a great destiny. Do all you can to have a fulfilled life.
Life, Health and Prosperity 