"He did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight,
just as his ancestor David had done."
2 Chronicles 29:2 NLT
This apple fell far from the tree. Even though Hezekiah grew up under the influence of his evil father, King Ahaz, he did not follow in his footsteps. He was not destined to become like his father. There was hope for Hezekiah, and there is hope for me. I am not fated to become like anyone else, whether it be parent, teacher, sibling or friend. No matter how close I am to them or how strong their influence, my life has a path of its own (Hebrews 12:1).
Freedom of Choice. I have a friend who grew up in a highly dysfunctional home with a father who was barely ever there and a mother who suffered from mental illness. The messages she heard about God from her parents were conflicting, to the say the least. There wasn't much love found within the four walls of their house and she could have grown up to suffer from a number of maladies, or be plagued by drugs abuse and promiscuity like her siblings. Instead, her faith in Christ is strong, her heart is pure and her desire to obey Him led her to the mission field.
I cannot make myself see my need for Jesus; I need God to open my heart to the Gospel (John 6:44). Even the faith I use to trust in Jesus is from Him (Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Timothy 1:13-14). He gets all the glory for my salvation.
Once I belong to Him, though, it's up to me to either walk in the Spirit or by my own flesh (Galatians 5:16). It's my decision if I am to cooperate with His plan of transformation for my life (Romans 12:2, Colossians 3:10). I can choose the path of life or continue down the crowded road that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). These are choices I have been given and my friend made for Christ despite the horrible examples she had in her parents. She was not doomed to follow in their footsteps.
Destiny is a fallacy because God has given me freedom of choice as His child.
Stronghold of Sin. I can either be a slave to sin or to righteousness (Romans 6:17-18). While the pull of my own sin nature is strong and I may feel like I have to do what comes naturally, I have been given power over this sin through Jesus Christ (Romans 7:24-25a, 8:2). I am not destined to do what I have always done, to continue in the patterns of destructive behavior I have always known, or to be oppressed by a generational curse. No, in these things I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 15:56-57).
While sin is a powerful attraction, I have the ability through Christ Jesus to take what was once used for destruction and offer it to God as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:11-14). I can choose to put on the Lord Jesus Christ as I would don a coat, letting His righteousness become my own (Romans 13:14). I am a new creation in Christ Jesus, the old sin nature has gone, if only I would fully let it go (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Destiny is a fallacy because Jesus Christ has given me victory over sin.
Mission of Enemy. They really hated his brother. In fact, they despised him so much they were ready to do him in. They didn't really care how much he may suffer or how he felt. All they wanted to do was rid themselves of his annoying presence (Genesis 37:12-36).
After Joseph spent nearly 40 years in Egypt as a result of his brothers selling him into slavery, over 20 of those as second in command to the Pharaoh, he gained a new perspective on the treachery that marked his life. When faced with possible retribution, his brother's quaked in his powerful presence. Joseph, understanding God's sovereign plan, replied, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20).
Satan intends to harm me. In fact, his mission is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10a), but Christ came to give me life and life to the full (John 10:10b)! God can take what my enemy meant for evil and turn it into the best thing that ever happened to me (Romans 8:28). While my enemy has a mission that is for my destruction, Jesus has a mission to save me and turn the ashes of my life into something beautiful (John 3:17, Isaiah 61:1-3).
Destiny is a fallacy because Jesus has a mission to bring me the abundant life, no matter what my enemy intends.
While it may seem there is no hope for my life when I consider the influences surrounding me, there is always reason for optimism in Christ. He gives me salvation and the ability to choose to walk with Him, power over sin, and a plan that will blow my mind in it's goodness. There is no grounds for me to think, then, that I am destined for destruction. I have the hope of Christ!
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God in the great plan He has for me.
When do I resign myself to what seems inevitable?
How am I a victim of my own negative thinking?
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