3 Things You Should Never Do

There are three specific traps you and I should never allow ourselves to fall into—not if we want to live out the purpose for which God created us.

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish….” By perish the scripture does not mean that we will die or even miss heaven. It means we will miss the purpose for which God created us and, unfortunately, many people do exactly that. So today, I want to give you some pointers on getting a vision and living out your destiny.

Never live in regret.

The prophet Isaiah says, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing… (Isaiah 43:18, 19).” You may have missed opportunities in the past or made mistakes you can’t undo. The good news is that God is not through with you. So stop looking back and start living with purpose.

God is always opening doors for us, but we have to walk through them—and looking back kills your forward momentum. He has a destiny for you that He wants to fulfill and He has not changed his mind. He never forgets His promises to you.

According to Proverbs 25:2: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” Finding your purpose in life is a discovery process. God wants to reveal in your heart what you were created for. So stop trying to please people, allowing their approval to dictate your destiny. As you bring yourself in agreement with God, He will bring His plans to pass in your life.

When God created us He concealed our purpose. But when we turn to Him, we begin to discover it. That’s why we need to seek Him.

Never live in retreat.

Are you more critical than you used to be? One big sign that you’re walking away from God is that you stop being thankful and start finding fault. Also, you find it hard to forgive people. Maybe you realize that you’ve lost your hunger for God. Pray for Him to give it back.

Thank Him for the things that are going right instead of complaining about all that’s going wrong. Lose your thankfulness and you lose the peace of God (Eph. 5:20).

Just because you have a promise that has not manifested yet, it doesn’t mean He is not true to His word. Rather, put Him in remembrance of His word. When you do that, you remind yourself. His promise hasn’t changed.

A lot of people will miss their destiny—their purpose in being here. I didn’t say they won’t go to heaven, but they don’t care enough to search out the matter and find out God’s purpose in creating them.

Never live in reserve.

Now that you have sought out the matter, determine to live “all out”. Serve God with abandon. Leave nothing undone. Don’t fear being radical; throw caution to the wind. Don’t be like the unwise steward who received his master’s talent but, out of fear, hid it (Matt. 25:24-28). God holds us responsible for our stewardship.

When you give your all, someone coming after you will benefit. What costs you now in searching out God’s plan for you and living all out, you will transfer to someone else. For instance, when I first became a pastor, I entered into the prayers and labors of others. I inherited this ministry from people who started it some eighty years ago.

God holds us accountable for what He has given us. You need to go farther with the gifts and talents you have. Determine to live fully engaged and you will both fulfill your destiny and advance God’s kingdom!