IF I HAD KNOWN as a teenager what I would be doing today, I would have said, “No way, God. That is impossible!” The Lord doesn’t show us the whole picture of our life all at once because we would quit before we got started. No, He leads us one step at a time.
Allowing the Lord to direct our paths is a key to walking out His plan for our lives.
Proverbs 3:6 (NKJV) says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” If you’re wondering why you are not very far along in God’s plan for your life, let me ask you this: Are you following Him one step at a time?
Instead of thinking of yourself with an “I can’t” mentality, start thinking of yourself as, “I can!”
Take the Next Step in Faith
I remember how excited my husband and I were as parents when our children took their first step. They took one step and then fell down. We picked them up, put them back on their feet, and encouraged them to take another step. We repeated the process of picking them up, encouraging them, and helping them try again until they had finally conquered the task of walking.
An infant would never learn to walk if he did not start by taking that first step. And just as he learns to walk one step at a time, we learn to follow God’s plan for us the same way. He leads us one step at a time.
You may have taken the first step and fallen down. You may still be lying on the ground, having decided to never take another step. Just as a parent encourages their children to get up and try again, so our Heavenly Father is encouraging you to get up and take another step.
We must meet the challenge of each step saying, “OK, God. With You I will make it this time.” I know what it’s like to be in fear and trembling in taking the next step in God’s plan. The devil will try to do a number on you. He will come and whisper in your ear, “You don’t think you can accomplish that, do you?” I talk right back to him and say, “No, devil, I don’t think I can; I know I can. It’s not me—it’s the Lord doing it through me. He’s the One Who gave me this assignment. And He will never call me to do anything He won’t equip me to do.”
That’s how you have to speak to the devil when he is hollering in your ear. If you start taking that attitude, you will find yourself rising to the top in life. Opportunities will start knocking on your door. Take advantage of those opportunities with confidence, knowing that with God’s wisdom and strength you can do all things.
Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” If you will delight in the Lord, He will order your steps; and they will be steps of success, not of failure. But when opportunity knocks, answer! You must walk through that door with confidence, knowing you can do it with the Lord’s help.
Radiate Positivity
That leads to another key to walking out God’s plan for our lives: keep a positive attitude. A negative attitude will prevent us from reaching God’s planned destination for us. But a positive attitude will help push us forward—even when obstacles or detours seem to block our path.
One of the many things I loved about my father is, he always had a positive attitude. He always gave me articles about attitudes. One of them contained these truths:
The loser is always part of the problem.
The winner is always part of the answer.
The loser always has an excuse.
The winner always has a goal.
The loser says, “That’s not my job.”
The winner says, “Let me do it for you.”
The loser sees a problem for every answer.
The winner sees an answer for every problem.
The loser says, “It may be possible, but it’s too difficult.”
The winner says, “It may be difficult, but it’s possible.”
To succeed in life, we must adopt the winner’s attitude. We must believe and declare, “I am able to accomplish God’s plan for my life. And with His help, I will complete that plan.”
My father always told me, “Lynette, with the help of the Lord, there isn’t anything you can’t do.” The words “I can’t” were never allowed to be part of my vocabulary. I suppose that’s why I found Philippians 4:13 at an early age—I had to! That verse has been a means of survival for me. I have quoted many times, “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”
I also learned James 1:5 early in life. It says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally” (NKJV). I knew that if “I can’t” could not be in my vocabulary, then I needed not only the strength of the Lord but also His wisdom! With God’s strength and wisdom, we can accomplish all that He desires for us to do.
Embrace a Can-Do Attitude
You may be thinking, “I feel so inadequate in my job. I’m not going to be promoted, because I don’t have the education or training I need.” Or perhaps you’ve been placed in a position and you’re stressed out because you’re thinking, “I don’t have the knowledge, ability, or personality to carry out my assignment.” Who says you don’t? God says you can do all things through Him. Instead of thinking of yourself with an “I can’t” mentality, start thinking of yourself as, “I can!” Say, “I can be a success in Christ. I can be promoted. I can have favor with my employer. I can do what I’ve been assigned to do.”
I encourage you to focus on what the Lord can do through you when you rely on His strength and wisdom. And then depend on that strength and wisdom in every area. Follow His lead and keep a positive attitude. Speak His Word over yourself daily. As you do, He will give you the ability to walk out His plan for
your life.
Author
Lynette Hagin
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