by Barbara Wentroble
I still remember a song that was popular many years ago. Doris Day sang, “Que Sera, Sera.” The song was about a little girl asking her mother about her future. She wanted to know who she would be. She wanted to know if she would be pretty or would she be rich. Her mother’s response was that we cannot know our future.Whatever will be, will be. In other words, life just happens.
I like the melody of the song. I also like Doris Day’s amazing voice. What I don’t like is the fatalism in the words of the song. According to the lyrics, a person is merely a victim of circumstances. There is nothing a person can do about his or her future. They must merely accept life as it comes their way. The person develops a victim mentality that hinders him or her from the abundant life that Jesus gave us when He died on the Cross.
Everyone has a destiny but not everyone walks in it. Someone once said, “The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what it is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.” When your eyes are opened to the ultimate plan for your life, you begin to experience transformation in your thoughts, emotions, energy levels, and actions.
Discovering my life’s purpose took many years. I remember a time years ago when I began to understand that God has a destiny and plan for my life. I sat listening intently as the speaker talked. After the message, the speaker gave “words from the Lord.” “There is someone here today, and when you were a little girl,” the speaker said, “you told the Lord, ‘I’ll be a missionary for You.’ The Lord wants you to know you will be a missionary for Him, just not in the way you thought.” The words seemed to go right into my heart. Suddenly, a memory surfaced of the Sunday School room in the church I had attended when I was nine years old While watching this scene play out in my mind, I heard myself say, “Lord, I’ll be a missionary for You.”
Now, at age 31, I was a wife and mother of three small children. How could I have forgotten my conversation with the Lord? How could I have forgotten my commitment to His call? Yet somehow, in the busyness of life, I had not remembered. Even so, God remembered.
For the first time, I recognized that the Lord was calling me. Later, He would reinforce that call in a variety of ways. But at that time, I realized the sovereign God of the universe still speaks to people today and calls them for His purposes.
Although the Lord had affirmed His call, it was only the beginning of a process. Years would be spent dreaming, praying, studying, trying, stumbling, getting up and going on again. Some days would be mountaintop experiences. Other days would look more like valleys. None of that changed the mind of the Lord; however, nor His call on my life. I would later learn that I was created to fulfill the destiny He had for me. You have been created for God’s purposes, as well. Every believer has a call from the Lord. The specific calls are different and come in different ways, but God calls each of us to fulfill a unique destiny.
As we pursue the call of God, we will be tested in several areas, one of which is our character. Job had his character tested in an exceptionally severe trial. He was a good man who was devastated in one day. Job lost everything he had, including his 10 children.
Later Job was stricken with a terrible disease. His friends thought he had sinned. Job couldn’t understand why all this was happening to him. However, he knew that in time he would be vindicated. Job willingly allowed the test to purify him.
His character was tested in the fiery furnace of difficulties. Like Job, we will walk through difficulties. In those times of testing, we can come out with the same results as Job. God bought restoration into Job’s life by doubling his possessions and blessing him with more children. We can come through our fiery trials, not only into restoration but also into an increase. Restoration means we will gain more than we lost.
Not only is our character tested as we walk in our call, but our prophetic words are also tested. At age 17 Joseph received a prophetic dream concerning his future. After the dream, he went through years of testing of the word. His prophetic word had to be tested before he could own the promise. God was faithful through those times to bring Joseph into the call on his life.
Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him (Psalm 105:19).
Another area that gets tested as we advance is the call of God on our lives. Relatives, both natural and spiritual, may not grasp or approve of our calling.
Over and over again, we are tempted to think that God has changed His mind about our call, particularly when we are in the midst of difficulties. It is then we must allow the Lord to bring us through the testing of our call. Often He is doing things we cannot see. There is a greater level of anointing and authority waiting for those who come through the fiery furnace of testing.
We go through the furnace to teach the furnace a lesson—that we can go through the fire and not be burned! We go through the waters to teach the waters a lesson—that we will not be drowned! We encounter the roaring lion to teach the lion a lesson—that there is a Lion of the tribe of Judah, and He has prevailed (Rev. 5:5).
You may need a mentor in your life who will help empower you to fulfill your God-given purpose. Find a leader who sees your potential and is willing to invest in your life. Be willing to walk with this mentor as you receive giftings, anointings and skills that are necessary for you to reach your destiny.
Another step to fulfilling your purpose requires your faithfulness at all times. Others may not always be faithful to you. Remember, they did not call you: God called you. The Lord is looking at your faithfulness to the call, not whether others are faithful to you.
Allow the Lord to cut away anything that is limiting you from fulfilling your purpose. Get healing for any old wounds in your emotions. You were born for this moment in time. Don’t miss the best God has for you because of old wounds. Your past is not your potential.
Don’t stop until you have fulfilled everything God has planned for your life. This is your moment. You are being empowered for your purpose!
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Barbara Wentroble is strong apostolic leader and is gifted with a powerful prophetic anointing. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and churches. Barbara has motivated and coached leaders in all spheres of influence. As Barbara activates giftings and anointings in ministers and business leaders, they are equipped to bring transformation to their areas of influence.
She is the founder of International Breakthrough Ministries (IbM), a strategic alliance for visionary leaders. She is also the founder and President of Business Owners for Christ International (BOFCI) and the founder of Breakthrough Business Network (BBN).
Barbara created the Apostolic Prophetic Results Coaching Course to train coaches for equipping 21st Century leaders. She ministers with cutting-edge teaching and revelation with a compelling breaker anointing.
Barbara is the author of nine books. She recently authored the popular book, Empowered for Your Purpose. She also a registered nurse and has a BA from Christian Life School of Theology and a Doctor of Practical Ministry from Wagner Leadership Institute. Barbara and her husband Dale reside in Lantana, TX. They are the parents of three adult children and eight grandchildren.
To learn more, visit:www.barbarawentroble.com
