Destiny Derailers

I am going to digress today from the plan to write from the book of Psalms. Instead I want to share with you from leadership training I attended last night at my church. The guest speaker was Pastor Chip Judd and what he spoke to us was just too amazing to not pass along to all of you! The topic of his message to us was Destiny Derailers-What keeps a leader from reaching their potential. I am sharing this because what he shared does not simply apply to leaders, but to each and every one of us.

I don't know about you, but there have been many times in my life when I have stopped for a self-evaluation and thought "how in the world did my life get HERE?" As I looked at my life situation, I realized nothing about it demonstrated the life I thought I would have or came even remotely close to the life I wanted. When was the last time you seriously took the time to think about what you want out of life?

"Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road." Mark 10:46-52


As Jesus is walking by, blind Bartimaeus cries out to Him through the crowd. The scripture says there was a great multitude. Imagine how loudly Bartimaeus would have had to cry out in order to be heard by Jesus. When was the last time you wanted something so bad you were willing to make a spectacle of yourself? Notice it mentions many warned him to be quiet. Yet, he cried out even more! The religious people will always tell you to be quiet when you are boldly crying out to God. When Christ hears his pleas for mercy, he commands him to come to Him. Until last night, I missed a vital part of Bartimaeus' actions. We are told he throws aside his garment. In his society, his garment was his business license. This garment verified his disability to those who would pass by as he begged for money. This garment was his IDENTITY. His act of throwing it aside demonstrated his faith that Jesus would heal him and he would no longer need to cling to this as his identity.

It doesn't require a doctrine in biblical studies to determine what Bartimaeus was wanting from Jesus. Yet, when he approached Christ, he is answered with the question, "What do you want Me to do for you?" How often do we look at our situation or circumstances and simply think "well, God knows what I need" and yet we never bother to tell Him. We don't cry out to Him. We are not willing to make a spectacle of ourselves. Maybe Jesus is asking you today WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?

It takes courage to say you want something. It takes faith to verbalize the innermost desires of our hearts. Our wants and needs may not be as obvious as a blind man requesting his eyes to be healed. Until you admit you want something, you will settle for whatever life gives you. The greatest area this applies in my life is in my relationships. For most of my life, I didn't admit I wanted to have a healthy dating relationship. I was willing to settle for the crumbs from the table that anyone was willing to give me. It was not until I admitted my desire for a God-designed relationship and marriage that I stopped settling for the crumbs of the world. Now, this has meant I've been single for a long time, but I know it is because God has the ONE chosen for me. It takes courage to say "no, I'm not okay with sex before marriage because I know it is NOT God's plan." However, I am willing to make a spectacle of myself because I want the relationship bad enough. I want a man who will honor both me, and more importantly God, enough to be willing to wait.

The first reason people get derailed from their destiny is simply because they never really get on track in the first place. We never reach our destiny because we never get started. I pray you take the time today to reflect on what you really want out of this life. Not what your parents want for you. Not what your siblings want for you. Not what anyone else has ever wanted for you, but what YOU want out of this life. Each and every one of us only get one chance at this journey called life. There are no retakes or do-overs. Don't waste another minute hiding behind the plan of someone else. Step out with courage and tell God what you want Him to do for you so you can reach the full potential He has already placed inside of you!

**My message on Friday will be about the second reason we become derailed. I can't wait to share with you!**