The Enemy of my Destiny is Myself (Part 1)

God has a plan for my life. God has a plan for your life. God is more committed to fulfilling His purpose in our lives than we are. So, why do so few people accomplish these plans? The problem is not with God’s ability; if He can create a universe than trust me, your life is not that hard for Him. It’s not even someone else’s hatred toward us, or our parent’s inability to prepare us for life. Our issue is with ourselves, because we are our greatest enemy.

It’s easy to put blame on others for our own lack of effectiveness. Why take the blame when there are so many people out there more deserving than us. My father abandoned me; my mother did her best but made many mistakes. My school district was not the best, and they pigeonholed me as an underachiever early. I grew up poor and lived in a homeless shelter for a while. Surely, I have a reason to live beneath my potential. None of the above are valid excuses for me to wallow in self-pity and refuse accomplish all God has for me.

It’s often not our own struggles, issues, and problems, but how we decide to move forward that will determine our futures. Our past is relevant to our journey because it often helps us see both the challenges and benefits we have facing us. It gives us insight into the guidelines we will need to govern our conduct. For instance, if you have a family who makes poor financial decisions, then you may need to stick to a stringent budget. Our past shouldn’t define us, but it should direct us.

We need to strike a healthy balance between not giving ourselves excuses and giving ourselves room to be flawed. How? I don’t know. I believe that it is different for every person. I think I know what it looks like in my life, but to be honest I am still figuring it out. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have issues, but I can’t allow my issues to stop my progress. My greatest enemy is within me, but I can’t let it stop me. There is too much destiny to be fulfilled!

I love Romans 7 because it reminds me that even a great biblical hero like Paul knows what its like to struggle. The chapter ends with verse 25 and its amazing truth. “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” Just as wonderful as that thought very next verse in chapter 8:1-2 gives us hope for the times when we do falter. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” So yes, we have an enemy within us, but Jesus is champion so we can fulfill everything God has for us. That’s good news.