Fulfilling your destiny pt 4. What next?

BBC at CCK May 27th
Before continuing with the final part of my series on Fulfilling your destiny I thought you would be interested to know that the BBC are broadcasting live from Church of Christ the King in Brighton on Pentecost Sunday morning. Those in the UK may enjoy watching or recording it.

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What is the application for you?
In this short series I have challenged you to ‘write your history in advance’ by considering where you anticipate being at various points in you life. We then looked at what a ‘calling’ is before looking at the real life example of John Kpikpi as he returned from Brighton to Ghana.

Now it is time to apply what we have considered in recent weeks to your own situation.

Exercise 7:
There are decisions to make. How do you make them?

General principles:

1. You are chosen from before the foundation of world for ‘good works’ (Eph 2:10). Why? What are they? Are you fulfilling your destiny?
2. Are you making decisions about your future based on world values (e.g. money, status) or Kingdom values (God’s will for your life)?
3. Do you recognise there are decisions to make which may be costly (e.g. to pursue God rather than wealth)? Settle this in your heart and ask Him for the grace to make the right decisions.

Specifics issues to consider:

1. Should you stay in UK/go to another nation/return to your home nation?
2. Is church/Kingdom advance a ‘spare time’ activity or are you ‘full time’ in your thinking and practice?
3. How are you going to decide your location in future? Will it be based on the job offer (which may be appropriate)? Will it be based on wanting to be part of a particular Church? How will you combine both of these essentials? When you think you have found the right job will you consider what church God wants you to join before agreeing a job offer?
4. Do you have someone whom you trust, and you know loves and cares for you, who speaks into your life? If not, ask God to give you someone.

Conclusion
We are all ‘full-time’. Do you agree? We are all called, whether to secular work or to ‘full time’ Christian ministry. How does this affect your thinking about life-choices?

Exercise 8:
What actions do you need to take NOW? You need to create your own list but here are some suggestions to help get you thinking:

1. Establish what are your unique gifts and talents
2. Pray about the future
3. How can you optimise the opportunity of being in your present church?
4. Look for a mentor.
5. Make yourself accountable

Students leaving university are at a pivotal point in their lives. They are moving from a context of day-to-day life being determined largely by others (ie the degree programme) to needing daily to make intentional decisions about their own lives and futures.

Through working at the material in this series (which has been prepared primarily with overseas students in mind – but applies to everyone) my prayer is that you will have been provoked to recognise that, at this precise time, you have a unique opportunity to set a course for your life which may not readily be available to you in future.

I urge you not to miss this opportunity.