What's the difference between destiny and purpose?

Hello Mes Amis,

Today is a really special day for someone special to me. She's a person dearest to my heart and today marks her birthday so I'm using this medium to wish her a happy birthday. She's a kind of person that does hold special days to heart so, today kind of mean a great deal to her. I wish her a long prosperous years upon the surface of the earth.

Speaking of birthdays, Every birthday we celebrate is taken us closer to the end of our lives. So, you can say we are celebrating our closeness to 'Time-out' lol. Some celebrate birthdays while others don't, for me it doesn't really matter if you celebrate it or not. What really matters to me is what you have done with all the years you have spent on Earth and what you will do with the ones you have left. A child growing up doesn't really have to do much or think much of say much but there comes a defining time in one's life when the essence for ones existence is discovered or learnt, And that essence for a person's existence is what we usually call purpose or destiny (some may even call it fate). But all this terms have they separate meanings and definitely, their different impact.

Purpose, according to Wikitionary, is:

1. An object be reached; a target or an aim; a goal.

2. A result that is desired; an intention

3. The act of intending to do something; resolution; determination.

4. The subject of discourse the point at issue.

Destiny is defined as:

1. That to which any person or thing is destined; a predetermined state; a condition foreordained by the Divine or by human will; fate; lot; Doom.

2. The fixed order of things; invincible necessity; fate; an irresistible power or agency conceived of as determining the future, whether in general or of an individual.

NOTE: fate and destiny are synonymous to each other.

Looking at the above definition, I think it will be safe to state that one who understands and takes his purpose seriously, controls his very own destiny. Hence, intentionally, purpose preceeds destiny! Back to a growing adult, at a certain age, a defining pattern, thought or action begins to come to play in the life of everyone. Now, where most surrender themselves to mother nature to do to them what it wills (they do it unconsciously by agreeing to live life as it comes to them) thereby getting into all sorts or things either good or bad, some on the other hand decide what happen to them or what comes to play in their lives (they don't live life as it comes, rather they live life intentionally, consciously and with calculations). They try to find purpose to their existence and, whether you believe it or not, that which they want always come to them. This doesn't mean that those that live 'drifting off' on the current of life don't get some good results, rather they do but with luck. They are whom we should be saying are Lucky! But a man with purpose and with dreams or vision doesn't get lucky. Nah, rather He gets what he wants!

I love using the example Paul and Jesus in matters like that. Jesus, although been a spiritual man, found purpose to live on Earth. All his teaching, movement and actions are directed towards achieving that purpose. He gave an urgency to his assignment so much that it is recorded that he said;

'I must work the works of him who sent me while there is day, night cometh when no man can work'

He also said: "for this reason I am come forth to reconcile man to God".

So his assignment was clear to him. He knew what he must do. And that's real Dominion! When you know what you are supposed to do at a particular time in a particular way for a particular person, you become successful in all you do. You become a wonder and a mystery to men. And this was why Jesus remained a mystery to the people of Israel till tomorrow. The next person, apostle Paul, although called later after the 12 apostle, rose to the peak of the church pillar. Peter, John, James and all other apostles were already called and sent out before him, but they decided to 'go with the flow' of the spirit then. At first, they were not even concerned about spreading the gospel. They all stood confined to a location until persecution broke out against them and believe God was the author of the persecution! He will never let human weakness and ignorance stand in the way of his will. When Paul joined the flock, he immediately sought after purpose for which he is a Christian and an Apostle. He spent close to 7 years learning about Christ, his words and deeds and from there caught his fire. He determined that the world must know Christ and believe me the world did! He became a change creator, turning men back to God, breaking and moulding up kingdoms and arousing the entire world at that time. Just one single man found purpose and the world was turned upside down! Wow. Peter drifted with the current and was know very well in Jerusalem, Paul found purpose and was known in the whole world. I heard a statistics some times that the most successful person in the world (as regards influencing others) is Paul the apostle followed by the prophet Muhammed and thirdly, Jesus (because, according to them, he restricted his movement to certain nations). I wish you could read about the three great men mentioned above and you will know the importance of finding your own purpose. The prophet Muhammed (S.A.W) for example, was an orphan while he was a little boy. He had to stay with his uncle then a trader. He suffered persecution from the people of Mecca, got beaten yet remained determined to see his goals achieved. He had one purpose; to find and share the true God!

You don't have to live life for living sake. Stand up and take charge. Find purpose in all you do. Don't just do things for doing them, do it because that is the right thing to do and because you found your purpose in there.

@Kushyzee wrote an article recently titled: When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. This is also applicable to life. When you don't have a purpose for life, life gives you anything. Remember even as you start to find that purpose that there are process, sacrifice and pain you will go through in achieving. That is why 'only the strong taketh it by force'

Many thanks friends for reading this article. See you soon.