Your DESTINY is the answer to the question, ‘What has God called me to do?’
Your IDENTITY is the answer to the question, ‘Who has God called me to be?’
How can we discover the answers to these questions? And what will it take to completely fulfil the calling of God on our lives?
Out of Hiding and into History
In Judges 6, Israel is living under oppression from their enemies, the Midianites. A young man called Gideon is hiding from the enemy in a winepress, threshing wheat.
God sends an angelic messenger to Gideon to proclaim his God-given destiny and identity.
‘And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valour!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us?… Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (Judges 6:12-14)
When the angel calls Gideon a ‘Mighty man of valour,’ he is calling him by his God-given identity.
In the Bible, a given name is often synonymous with a God-ordained identity or destiny. [1]
The name Gideon means ‘cutter down’ or ‘destroyer’, and Gideon is destined to be a leader who, with God’s help, overthrows Israel’s powerful enemy.
Gideon, however, sees himself differently—as insignificant and powerless. As a result, he is living in fear and weakness.
The angel’s pronouncement of Gideon’s identity and destiny sets in motion a chain of events that propels Gideon out of hiding and into history.
What Gideon teaches us about our Identity and Destiny
We may not have an angel turn up on our doorstep with a message from God like Gideon did. We may not even have a personal prophecy. But we can begin to grasp our God-given identity and destiny.
When we do, it will have life-changing consequences to others and ourselves.
Here are some things that we can learn from Gideon’s story:
1. God Himself Initiates our Identity and Destiny
‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.’ (Eph 2:10)
God steps into Gideon’s normal, everyday life and announces His intention for him.
God’s purpose for our lives is not our own good idea of what we would like to be or do; it is His plan for us.
God’s destiny for your life will be consistent with the way He has wired you. It may be helpful to consider the clues He has given—your unique experiences, passion, abilities and spiritual gifts.
But don’t limit God by over-defining these things. Remember—He took Gideon by surprise and may have some surprises in store for you too.
Prayer journaling is one helpful tool that you can use to converse with God. [2] Take time to pray and ask your Father the questions:
- ‘What have you called me to do?’
- ‘Who have you called and created me to be?’ [3]
Ask godly leaders that you have a relationship with what they see in you. Allow them to speak into your life.
2. He Turns our Weaknesses into His Strengths
‘Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.’ (1 Cor 1:26-27)
When God calls Gideon, the young man does not comprehend his destiny or his identity—in fact, he is currently being and behaving the very opposite of what God has called him to be.
Gideon is fearful, however his God-given identity is to be bold. He feels himself to be the smallest and least significant, but God is calling him to be a leader.
In the Bible, those whom God uses powerfully usually have a history of weakness or failure in their very area of strength.
God is by nature a Redeemer.
Consider where you have been hurt and wronged, or have sinned, or are weak. These are the very things God is redeeming. With His help you will not only overcome those weaknesses, but they will become points of strength. They will become areas in which you minister to others.
Remember, too, when your Heavenly Father speaks to you of your identity and destiny, it will be something beyond your own natural ability to accomplish.
3. It Takes an Intimate Relationship with God to Wholly Fulfil our Destiny
An encounter with God is an invitation to relationship with Him.
Potentially, Gideon’s encounter with God could be the beginning of a personal relationship with Him. He has the opportunity to be an Abraham, a Moses—a friend of God.
Gideon has the opportunity now, to not only overcome the enemy, but also to lead Israel in worship of God.
However, tragically, he will fall short of his destiny and instead, lead the nation into idolatry. (Judges 8:22-27)
Here is the bottom line.
Here is the very foundation of our identity and destiny.
We are created to have an intimate love relationship with God. This is both the beginning of our identity and the ultimate end of our destiny.
As Christian believers, we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. This is the relationship that Jesus paid to restore when He shed His blood on the cross.
And before we can fully understand our personal identity, we need to comprehend our Family identity.
We need to understand what it means to have the divine DNA, the identity of being a member of God’s royal family. [4]
Only once we have understood this can we fully embrace and enter into our personal God-given identity—and fulfil it.
Do you have any experiences or questions to share on this topic, or difficulties you are facing that you would like us to agree with you in prayer for? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down
Notes
[1] It makes an interesting study to track name changes in the Bible, and see the destiny that God was speaking into those He named—for example, Abram became Abraham (father of a multitude). Jesus renamed Simon (meaning reed), Peter (meaning rock).
[2] To learn more about prayer journaling, read the following post:
Activate Your Prophetic Gift Through Prayer Journaling
[3] In relation to personal guidance, the following post contains vital information:
Personal Guidance For The Important Decisions Of Life
[4] I discuss this more in the following article:
Breaking Free From An Orphan Mindset
© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching
On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in prophetic ministry and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog (est. 2009), an online resource that reaches thousands of people globally.
THIS IS EYE OPENER, I HAVE BEEN PUTTING DOWN MY DREAMS IN A JOURNAL. IT HELPS ME TRACK EVENTS A GUIDE MY PRAYING PATTERN.
Hi Helen thank you for so much confirmation 4 years ago God planted the word GIDEON in my mind and I was shown a gate to defend as well as spiritual warfare to do. Directly after that experience I went through a year if drought-the worst desert imaginable-I was torn loose frm all things dear and kown to me. I clung to God and sought his face.
Since then I was entrusted to pray for countries, presidents and towns. Sometimes it is hard with only an image to go with…but what a priviledge! He is such an amazing King who leads us to glory for his name’s sake:
Jesus Christ. Through You Lord we will push back darkness!.
Hello Cherie, yes intercession in the Spirit is such a Heavenly privilege! Amen and amen!
I once heard god call me daughter of Zion what does he mean
Hi Helen,
You have been divinely anointed as my sister to give me words of affirmation.I had to make a very difficult decision which is a turn about experience in my life.Painful circumstances in my life lead me to God and more painful experiences left in a place where I thought God had abandoned me.I have joined a prayer group of intercessors and I know God is calling me to do several things.However,whenever I enter the place of meeting, ,my skin starts burning ,I can’t concentrate and even want to throw up.I really desire this intimacy with God.I am grieved and tormented and have shared this with one of our leaders. She asked me to have patience and wait for deliverance.Can you please pray for me as my greatest desire is to be a prayer warriors and develop an intimate relationship with my Saviour. I have a burning desire to serve the Lord but I am constantly assaulted in my mind .To God be the glory as he exposes the darkness and makes me focus.
Hello Evie,
It is certain that there is freedom and deliverance for you. It sounds as though you are in a caring group with leaders who can give you advice, I encourage you to focus on building your faith, make Bible study a focus, learn about what the blood of Jesus has made available to you and confess that – a key to freedom, I am praying for you right now.
Hi Helen, indeed you have done a very good job in explaining the difference between identity and destiny of who we are and what we are called to do. It’s not by coincidence that I read this blog for clarity for my dream recently whereby in the dream I was waiting in the airport with 2 young children and many baggages, for someone to explain to me why my flight schedule (time and destination) has been changed to fly by BA to London, UK to a later timing due to full flight.
So I understood now that you are that person I needed to hear the explanation. Thank you!
I have one question about this dream-I saw the fruit Papaya in one of my hand carry luggage. Do you know what is the symbolism of papaya fruit?
Just some weeks ago out of my heart and mouth I said i need to hear a SOUND. I know it was from God and for a couple of days that was in my spirit, other than that i didn’t follow-up on this; I should have prayed and asked God what was he saying.
Reading this bog caused my heart to be stirred with a great sence of witness, I know that God was in this.
It was a now word from a now God (my heavenly Father) it was so very encouraging, I really needed that. God is raising up a peopple that will carry an anointing from God that will stand in God’s authority against the wiles of the enemy and wont take down neither will they be stoped of hindered.