This week, I want to share one of the inspirational videos that I found: “What Does God Say About Destiny?”. The speaker, Henny Kristianus, is an amazing, kick-ass woman and a pastor.
If you’re a free thinker, you may take it as ‘the Universe’. Or if you have a different religion, you may take it as the god that you worship.
The purpose of me writing this post is because I feel the message is worth sharing.
As the video is in Indonesian, I will share some parts that I feel are interesting. I hope this week’s blog post could motivate, enlighten or benefit you.
Destiny: The hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future; fate.
Oxford Dictionary
Destiny: Some people won’t get married because they were born that way, some will do because of others, and some do because of their own will.
Matthew 19:12 (rephrased)
According to Matthew 19:12, things that happen in your life are caused by three things:
- Destiny (not decided by you) – i.e. your physical appearance, hometown, family
- Someone else – i.e. you’re abused
- Your own will
God never plans for disasters. His plan for us is peace and a future full of hope.
“God has a plan for each of us. With your imperfection, you will make His name glorified. He could use you, no matter how bad your past is, for noble things.”
What if I’m disabled since I was born? Or because of an accident?
Believe that your existence is meaningful, even with your imperfections. You are inspiring others in ways that you couldn’t imagine.
I feel that my life is full of bad luck.
God does let some things happen in your life – things that He knows you can overcome. When you’re challenged, He will show you the way out, so you can overcome it.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
Psalm 139:16
How to live God’s destiny for you
Ask Him, “God, what do You want me to do with my life?”
“You were born naked. But God equipped you with passion, skills, and creativity. Thus, you were built for something.”
9 Intelligence of humans:
- linguistic
- math logic
- spatial
- musical
- existential
- naturalist
- interpersonal
For parents: Don’t force your child to be good in Math if he’s good at sports. You should help your child to excel in what he’s good at, what God has gifted him. (Yes Henny, hear hear!!)
For you whose career doesn’t relate to what you’ve been studying (like me): Nothing is wasted. God has a plan for you.
During the early days of my Zumba side gig, my dad would be like, “Dance instructors are for those who are tall.” But then I started teaching classes and he’d be like, “This is my daughter. She’s a Zumba instructor in XXX.” #proud
Or when I quarrel with him, sometimes he would say things like, “I paid so much for your education and art equipment, but now you’re a writer!”
He doesn’t know that even though I do not excel at it, the design, photography and marketing education that I received is somewhat useful in my career and life.
Also read: “How Sharing While Travelling Makes You Happier”
Also read: “Something Strange Happened When I Was in Vatican City”
What if others ruined my life? Will God’s plan work?
“God can turn disasters into blessings.”
God, where are You when my life is difficult?
You may face many challenges in life because of others, but the very same challenges could be the foundation of your success. They’re shaping your character, mentality, skills, etc.
God will not allow others’ ill-intention towards you to ruin you. He’s always there with you. He can turn challenges into blessings, as long as you keep being a good person.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Rome 8:28
If God has a plan for me, why would he allow me to walk on the wrong path?
“Every human spirit comes from God, He lives in you.
When you’re about to do bad things, whether you’re a believer or not, the little voice in you will say ‘Don’t do it.’ Or you will feel guilty afterward.
But if you ignore it too many times, you won’t be able to hear His voice.”
God has warned you, but you chose to ignore it. Therefore, you fall on the wrong path.
Some challenges in life aren’t from God
“Some challenges in life are the result of your decisions in life. They’re not from God.”
You are tempted based on your own desire.
You reap what you sow.
Henny Kristianus gives a real-life example. Let’s say, you want to buy a car. Have you done some calculations to see if you can afford it? What about the monthly installments, insurance, etc?
If you’re pinching pennies and living miserably every day just to buy a car, it’s a foolish decision. At the end of the day, you’re unhappy because of your own desire.
Also read: “To All Travelers Who Starve Themselves, This is for You”
Another example is about a woman who wants to divorce her husband because he’s a drug addict, lazy, has many debts and doesn’t provide for her.
It turns out they knew each other from social media and she gets married without knowing the real him.
It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.
Proverbs 19:2
Can God’s plan for us fail?
The answer is yes.
“God’s plans never failed. If it’s failed, it’s because of your disobedience and sin (aka you become a bad person).”
“If you’re currently used by God, be humble. He could use anyone or anything instead of you to fulfill his mission.”
What if I’ve walked on the wrong path? Can I return to my destiny?
In the video, Henny Kristianus gives a beautiful example. She shared that whenever she and her children go to places with large crowds, she’s always worried to lose them. So, she would say,
“If you ever get lost, you must always return to the place where you last saw mommy.”
As long as you’re willing to repent, you can always return to the destiny that was meant for you.
I hope you enjoy this blog post. Do check out Henny Kristianus’ videos, they’re awesome! 😉
