Step 4 of the 7 Steps to Discovering and Achieving God’s Purpose for Your Life

Step 1 is REVELATION. Only God knows what He put you on this earth to do and only He can tell you what it is.

Step 2 is PREPARATION. The Lord will place you in positions where He will develop and refine the spiritual gift(s) He has given you. These gifts will be used to help you accomplish your purpose.

Step 3 is OBEDIENCE. You must make up your mind in advance that no matter what temptation you face, you will obey the Lord.

Step 4 is REDEFINE SUCCESS. In Genesis chapter 39 Joseph was a slave who the Lord gave the privilege of being in charge of Potiphar’s house. Sometime later, he was wrongfully accused of trying to seduce Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison. But while he was there the Lord showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners and made him responsible for everything that was done there.

As we see in this chapter, on the way to achieving God’s purpose for his life, Joseph encountered some very undesirable circumstances – slavery and imprisonment. While neither circumstance was viewed as being favorable, the text tells us that the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did (Genesis 39:2-4 and 20-23).

Success from God’s perspective often looks completely different from the world’s version of success, especially during the PREPARATION phase. The world’s view is that you are successful only when you have money, fame, power/influence, possessions, and recognition. However, you are successful in God’s eyes when you are in the center of His will, right where He wants you to be, doing exactly what He wants you to do. In fact, the Lord orders your steps and leads you into circumstances, even undesirable ones that will mature you spiritually and develop the skills you will need to fulfill your purpose.

So when you encounter adversity, be encouraged. The Lord is there with you, just as He was with Joseph. He will grant you His version of success as He prepares you for your future. Keep your eyes open for His handiwork!

See you in two weeks for Step 5 of Discovering and Achieving God’s Purpose for Your Life!