Every Decisions Brings You Closer to or Further from God’s Plan

Likewise, you make decisions every day that move you closer to your God-ordained destiny—or away from it. There is no such thing as just sitting still or putting God’s plan for your life on hold. That’s a deception. God’s will for you is intertwined with His will for others, and that is a constantly moving and changing dynamic. It’s like catching a flight. You can miss it.

It’s true that the Lord can get you to your destiny another way. He’s certainly smarter than a GPS device that recalculates when you miss a turn. There is always a later flight with God. But who wants the hassle, disappointment, and delay that comes with missing a connection? I want God’s best. Don’t you?

When you are on a road trip, those who are ahead of you can be valuable sources of information. It doesn’t matter how you feel about them personally. The fact that they have already driven the road gives them insights that you need. They can tell you what accommodations and restaurants are available. Or they can let you know of a wreck or construction ahead and then advise an alternate route. You would be foolish not to draw on the insights of others who have gone before you.

With that in mind, we have put together a number of what we call Destiny Stories. These are the stories of individuals who have made choices that changed their lives for the better. They are people just like you, with challenges, failures, pasts, and even successes that stood in the way of them following God’s will for their lives. But with a few good decisions, they made their lives count.

Choosing God Leads to Freedom

Take, for instance, Kevin and Rachel Dowling. They were living on the streets of New York. Homeless and helpless, they were dope addicts with no good future. But through a woman at one of the soup kitchens they frequented, they found the Lord and His love. Five years later, they were free from dope, but still lacked direction for their lives. They decided to come to Charis Bible College, and everything began to change.

Not only have they been set free from the feelings of unworthiness and shame that dominated their lives, but now they are bringing others into their newfound freedom. The ones who used to sleep in cardboard boxes and eat out of trash cans are now providing food and the Gospel to thousands of other people who need a new destination.

A Decision Can Change the World

Or take Leland Shores, who was a successful businessman in Dallas, Texas. While he lay on the floor, nearly choking to death on a sandwich, his life flashed before him, and he knew that all of his “successes” were worth nothing. When he recovered, he made the decision to sell everything he had and dedicate his life to the Lord.

That one decision led Leland to Charis Bible College and eventually Africa, where he helped establish the Discipleship Evangelism course, which has now reached nearly hundreds of thousands of people. Leland also established the AWM bookstore in downtown Kampala, Uganda, where hundreds of people have been born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit. If that weren’t enough, Leland started a Charis extension school in Uganda, with hundreds of graduates who are changing Uganda.

Leland died unexpectedly in June 2011, but in the years since he made the decision to make his life count for the Lord, he did more than most people do in a lifetime. And because Leland’s emphasis was on discipleship, his disciples are continuing the work he began. Numerous people have been raised from the dead through those Leland reached. Disciples are ministering on the radio daily, and others are holding crusades with signs and wonders. Leland’s impact is just beginning.

Following God to the Ends of the Earth

Carrie Pickett came to our college fresh out of high school. She had known that the Lord had a call on her life since she was a little girl, and she went on to serve as a missionary in Russia for sixteen years.

Some would think of all that Carrie gave up to go to Russia. She put her personal desires for a family on the altar to serve the Lord. But God had the perfect husband for Carrie—in Russia. She would have missed him if she hadn’t obeyed God and followed the Lord to the ends of the earth. Now she and her husband, Mike, have two beautiful children.

God has used Carrie and Mike to make a big impact. They not only established a Charis extension campus in St. Petersburg, but they also helped get my books and television broadcasts translated into Russian.

Through their efforts, the Gospel Truth television broadcast went on to reach 160 million homes in Russia every weekday across eleven time zones. They also directed our AWM-Russia office before God moved them back here to Charis in Colorado. God then positioned them to lead this ministry after I am no longer here.

Your Decisions Impact More Than Just You

What would all of these people’s lives have been like if they hadn’t made the decisions they did? An even greater question might be, what would the lives of the millions of people they’ve affected have been like without them? Every one of us has a God-ordained destiny that is designed to touch others. We are carrying other people’s miracles. I don’t think we can fully comprehend this. It is certain, however, that the lives of millions of people were changed simply because these “heroes of the faith” made the right decisions.

Get on the Right Path

Are you certain that the decisions you are making every day are the ones the Lord wants you to make? If you can’t answer that affirmatively, then what is stopping you? Most people don’t intentionally decide to miss their destinies; they just get busy with the cares of this life, and before they know it, they are in a rut that they can’t seem to get out of.

But remember, your life is the result of choices—YOUR choices. Others can influence or hinder you, but your choices are the determining factor of your destiny. It is never too late to make the right choices.

My spiritual life started with making a choice. I had been seeking to know the Lord’s will for my life when He directed me to Romans 12:1–2, which says,

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

He showed me His will for my life was to be completely committed to Him. That’s the main thing. I was only seventeen years old at the time, but I started seeking to become a living sacrifice to the Lord with all my heart.

That decision led to a miraculous encounter with the Lord on March 23, 1968, when God revealed Himself to me in a way that changed my life forever. I have never been, and will never be, the same. I made an absolute and complete, unconditional surrender to the Lord that has propelled me to the life I live today. I’ve made thousands of decisions since then, but the decision to unconditionally follow God’s will for my life started it all.

The fact that you are reading this is the result of decisions made by you and me. I decided to follow the Lord and teach His Word, and you decided to start reading this article. He spoke to you through me. Our lives have been connected because of decisions. Decisions determine destiny.

Use God’s Word as a Guide

My study of the Word of God has been the single most influential force on my decisions. God’s Word is a light to our path (Ps. 119:105). It’s like I explained in my book Effortless Change, all we really have to do is put the seed of God’s Word in our hearts, and it will change us effortlessly. That’s how God established His kingdom.

Decisions do determine destiny, but those decisions must be based on the truth of the Word. It was the Word of God that changed my life, and it will change your life as well. To help you, I have spent years developing a study of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). It became the first edition of what we call the Life for Today Study Bible and Commentary.

In this Life for Today Study Bible: The Gospels Edition, I have arranged the four Gospels in parallel and chronological order. It makes it very easy to compare what each of the Gospels say about specific events in the life of Jesus.

I also encourage you to watch our Destiny Stories and Financial Breakthroughs videos. Each story is a testimony of God’s miraculous power and goodness that will encourage you to make the right decisions to toward your own divine destiny.

The Lord has awesome things planned for your life. Regardless of what things look like now, your positive decisions can change everything.