Setbacks on the Path to Your Kingdom Purpose
Setbacks are natural in life. I cannot think of anyone who has had a straight path in this world to success. The same is true when it comes to discovering and operating in God's Kingdom purpose for your life. Most of us, at some point have prayed for the Lord to reveal that purpose to us so we may begin to fulfill it. But the truth is, that though we are sincere, if we were shown the "job" he has for us to do, we would crumble under the weight of it because we are not ready yet. Then He returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with Me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” When He returned to them again, He found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
So He went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. Then He came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, My betrayer is here!” Matthew 26:40-46 They were fervently committed to standing with Jesus, keeping watch. But their minds and bodies weren't prepared. They were willing but not able.
Setbacks prepare you for your future.
I have an acquaintance who recently climbed part of Mount Everest. It was so interesting to hear of this challenging adventure. I learned some things! Their goal was to climb to the first base camp, which is about 17,598 ft. above sea level. To prevent altitude sickness along the way, they would hike to their day's destination point, then backtrack to the site where they would rest and allow their bodies adjust to the altitude. To climb straight up without backtracking when the altitude change was great, would most likely make them dangerously sick, needing a helicopter rescue.
I tell that story because I see a parallel in how we should approach our Kingdom purpose for living. If we think we know God's purpose and dive in before we are spiritually, mentally and emotionally prepared, it will be more difficult and possibly even disastrous. When we move ahead of the Lord God's timing and plan, we are out of sync with His Will. Take Joseph, for example. When he was just 17, God gave him prophetic dreams about God's purpose. One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. “Listen to this dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”
His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”
This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. Genesis 37:5-11 Joseph certainly wasn't ready to be in a position of great authority and his family wasn't ready to hear this. His brothers were jealous and hated him so much they threw him in a well, told their father he was dead and ultimately sold him as a slave. What a setback! No one in his family could even fathom the thought of Joseph having authority over them! Genesis 37
Thank the Lord God for your setbacks because He is preparing you for your Kingdom purpose and assignments. In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4
Distractions are setbacks
For most of us, our Kingdom purpose isn't our source of income. Where God leads, He provides. But do not assume that your Kingdom purpose is to provide your income. Most likely, He will provide through other income streams. Never let your God-given purpose become something you promote, brand or “work” to make money. Never allow money to become the focus. Daily remind yourself of what your Kingdom purpose is, once you have a glimpse of it. Money and the quest for it, can shift our focus from God’s purpose gradually until money is what we seek rather than His Kingdom and His righteousness! No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Matthew 6:24-25
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made... Pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. Philippians 3:12-19
Setbacks are to move you into position
Setbacks will move you into a better position for your Kingdom purpose. Looking at a single piece of a jigsaw puzzle won't show you the whole picture, but after joining several pieces, you will begin to see the "big picture". After several setbacks of "two steps forward, one step back" come together, your perspective of your purpose in God's Kingdom will become more clear. Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like Me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. Isaiah 46:9-10
After the setback it is time to move
But to be sure you are moving in the right direction, always be listening to the leading and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, our Kingdom Governor. When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me.’ John 16:13-15
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Romans 8:26-28
Move forward one step at a time, as the Holy Spirit leads. Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
Seek only God's Kingdom
The only thing Jesus told us to seek (pursue with focus) was God's Kingdom and His righteousness. We aren't even to seek His purpose for our life. If we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, our priority is His priority and His purpose will come His way and in His time. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33
Trust God's timing
Remember that the Lord God does not live in our time, but is in eternity. We may not understand it all, but His timing is perfect. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:8-11 NKJV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
Jesus spent most of His time on earth growing into His purpose for being here. There was a time determined by God, His Father. Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:12-17 NKJV Only about three years were spend in His ministry of teaching about God's Kingdom with both words and actions. In that time, He changed our world then and forever.
This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. Habakkuk 2:3
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24
Deborah Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” When He returned to them again, He found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
So He went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. Then He came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, My betrayer is here!” Matthew 26:40-46 They were fervently committed to standing with Jesus, keeping watch. But their minds and bodies weren't prepared. They were willing but not able.
Setbacks prepare you for your future.
I have an acquaintance who recently climbed part of Mount Everest. It was so interesting to hear of this challenging adventure. I learned some things! Their goal was to climb to the first base camp, which is about 17,598 ft. above sea level. To prevent altitude sickness along the way, they would hike to their day's destination point, then backtrack to the site where they would rest and allow their bodies adjust to the altitude. To climb straight up without backtracking when the altitude change was great, would most likely make them dangerously sick, needing a helicopter rescue.
I tell that story because I see a parallel in how we should approach our Kingdom purpose for living. If we think we know God's purpose and dive in before we are spiritually, mentally and emotionally prepared, it will be more difficult and possibly even disastrous. When we move ahead of the Lord God's timing and plan, we are out of sync with His Will. Take Joseph, for example. When he was just 17, God gave him prophetic dreams about God's purpose. One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. “Listen to this dream,” he said. “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”
His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. Soon Joseph had another dream, and again he told his brothers about it. “Listen, I have had another dream,” he said. “The sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed low before me!”
This time he told the dream to his father as well as to his brothers, but his father scolded him. “What kind of dream is that?” he asked. “Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow to the ground before you?” But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. Genesis 37:5-11 Joseph certainly wasn't ready to be in a position of great authority and his family wasn't ready to hear this. His brothers were jealous and hated him so much they threw him in a well, told their father he was dead and ultimately sold him as a slave. What a setback! No one in his family could even fathom the thought of Joseph having authority over them! Genesis 37
Thank the Lord God for your setbacks because He is preparing you for your Kingdom purpose and assignments. In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4
Distractions are setbacks
For most of us, our Kingdom purpose isn't our source of income. Where God leads, He provides. But do not assume that your Kingdom purpose is to provide your income. Most likely, He will provide through other income streams. Never let your God-given purpose become something you promote, brand or “work” to make money. Never allow money to become the focus. Daily remind yourself of what your Kingdom purpose is, once you have a glimpse of it. Money and the quest for it, can shift our focus from God’s purpose gradually until money is what we seek rather than His Kingdom and His righteousness! No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Matthew 6:24-25
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made... Pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. Philippians 3:12-19
Setbacks are to move you into position
Setbacks will move you into a better position for your Kingdom purpose. Looking at a single piece of a jigsaw puzzle won't show you the whole picture, but after joining several pieces, you will begin to see the "big picture". After several setbacks of "two steps forward, one step back" come together, your perspective of your purpose in God's Kingdom will become more clear. Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like Me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. Isaiah 46:9-10
After the setback it is time to move
But to be sure you are moving in the right direction, always be listening to the leading and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, our Kingdom Governor. When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me.’ John 16:13-15
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Romans 8:26-28
Move forward one step at a time, as the Holy Spirit leads. Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105
Seek only God's Kingdom
The only thing Jesus told us to seek (pursue with focus) was God's Kingdom and His righteousness. We aren't even to seek His purpose for our life. If we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, our priority is His priority and His purpose will come His way and in His time. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33
Trust God's timing
Remember that the Lord God does not live in our time, but is in eternity. We may not understand it all, but His timing is perfect. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:8-11 NKJV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
Jesus spent most of His time on earth growing into His purpose for being here. There was a time determined by God, His Father. Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:12-17 NKJV Only about three years were spend in His ministry of teaching about God's Kingdom with both words and actions. In that time, He changed our world then and forever.
This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. Habakkuk 2:3
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24
Deborah Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
