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You Don't Have Forever: How To Find Your Authentic Destination
In short: Your Authentic Destination is the life God created you to live, not the one culture, social media or other people choose for you. You discover it through a simple process: Pray, Document & Act. The best time to take action is today.
We keep promising ourselves that one day we'll do some things, but at the start of every year we rewrite the same goals from the previous year. We tell ourselves, someday, I will write a book; I will go back to school; I will have that difficult conversation; I will take my relationship with God seriously; I will finally do what has been in my heart for years. But there is a problem with one day: One day can easily become another day, and another, until so many years slip by.
We Don't Have Forever: A Lesson From Martin
One of the most important yet simple lessons I have learnt on my journey is: we don't have forever. Some years ago, I had a dear friend, Martin Kiyingi; he was remarkable. He loved God, cared deeply about people and served in his local church. Although paralysed from the neck down and dependent on others for his physical care, he lived with a determination that challenged everyone around him. Martin often called to check in on me. He had dreams like anyone else; he had business plans; he was living a full life. One day I learnt that Martin was unwell. I planned to visit him one afternoon, but work got in the way. I decided to go later. That evening, I eventually went to see him, but I was too late, Martin had passed away an hour before I received the devastating news. That experience left me with a lesson I will never forget.
We Don't Have Forever: How To Find Your Authentic Destination
We don't have forever to wait; we don't have forever to keep postponing. Most importantly, we don't have forever to discover and move towards our Authentic Destination. So let me ask you: What important thing are you postponing because you assume you have time?
Every Journey Needs a Destination
In Chapter 1 of Switch On Your G.P.S., I established a fundamental principle: Life is a journey, so where are you going? Think about your physical GPS. Your current location alone cannot take you anywhere. Your GPS needs a destination. That applies to life too. You can be moving and still be heading in the wrong direction. You can be extremely busy without making meaningful progress. You can achieve significant things while becoming increasingly distant from the life God intended for you. Perhaps the right question isn't: "Am I making progress?" but "Am I making progress towards my Authentic Destination?"
Watch: What Is Your Authentic Destination
What is your Authentic Destination? And how do you know whether the direction you are currently travelling is actually taking you towards it? In this teaching, I explore this important part of navigating the journey of life.
What Is Your Authentic Destination?
Your authentic destination is the life God created you for and the purpose He intended you to fulfil. It's not the place culture tells you to reach. You can do a million things you were not created to do. Your Authentic Destination is connected to God's intention for your life. In Exodus 3, Moses encountered God at the burning bush and received direction that would change his life and the lives of an entire nation. God had a destination; Moses had to decide whether he would respond. And that decision mattered. Your own destination may look completely different. But the principle remains:
There is a difference between just living life and intentionally pursuing what God created you to become and accomplish.
The G.P.S. Framework and why it matters:
• G – GOD: God initiates the process.
• P – PURPOSE: Purpose gives direction.
• S – SERVICE: Service fuels the journey.
Your Authentic Destination is not your career that people admire, the lifestyle social media celebrates or the version of success somebody else chose for you. You need to discover your destination, and that requires an intentional decision.
Indecision Is Also a Decision
At some point, reflection must become decision. If you never intentionally decide where you are going, other people, circumstances, opportunities and pressures will start deciding for you. Years can pass while you simply respond to whatever appears next. God has given you a life to steward. You have a responsibility to seek Him, discover what He has placed within you, and intentionally move in that direction. So how do you begin?
How to Find God's Purpose for Your Life
I use a simple three-step process: PDA: Pray, Document, Act.
Step 1: Pray: Begin with God. Ask Him:
• "Lord, what have you created me to do?"
• "Where are you leading me?"
• "Who have you called me to serve?"
• "What should I be giving this season of my life to?"
Prayer is not merely presenting God with your plans and asking Him to bless them. Sometimes prayer requires becoming quiet enough to ask: "God, what is Your plan?"
Step 2: Document: Then write. Pay attention to the thoughts, convictions, ideas and instructions that repeatedly come to you as you seek God and document them.
• Pay attention to recurring themes.
• Notice the people you feel drawn to help.
• Document the ideas that refuse to leave you.
• Write down the Scriptures that speak to you.
• Record the problems you continually feel compelled to solve.
What you fail to document can easily disappear beneath the demands of everyday life.
Your notes may eventually reveal a pattern that you could not see when each thought appeared individually.
Step 3: Act: Here is the part many people struggle with:
Prayer is essential, documentation is powerful, but eventually you must move. You may not know the entire route. You may not understand how everything will work out. You may not have every resource you think you need. But what is the next step?
• Make the call.
• Write the first page.
• Register for the course.
• Arrange the meeting.
• Apply for the opportunity.
• Start developing the skill.
• Serve somebody.
• Begin the project.
• Have the conversation.
You don't need to see the entire journey before taking the next step.
Possibilities May Be Infinite. Your Resources Are Not.
Imagine walking into a huge shop with thousands of things you could buy but only a limited amount of money in your pocket. The possibilities may seem endless. Your resources are not. Life works similarly. There may be countless opportunities available to you, but your time, energy, money, attention and earthly journey are finite. You cannot afford to spend everything you have travelling indefinitely along roads that take you off the road to your Authentic Destination.
Don't spend your finite resources pursuing someone else's destination.
This is where prioritisation becomes critical. Every "yes" costs something. Every commitment consumes time. Every distraction uses energy. So ask yourself: Is my life moving towards the destination God has for me?
Your Greatest Detour May Be "Later": Overcoming Procrastination
This is another enemy we must confront: procrastination. Sometimes we imagine that the opposite of pursuing purpose is rejecting it completely. But often it is much more subtle. We don't say: "Never." We say: "Later." I'll start next year. I'll do it when I have more money. I'll begin when the children are older. I'll act when I feel more confident. I'll obey when I'm sure of everything. But how many dreams have been buried beneath the word later? How many instructions from God have remained incomplete because tomorrow always seemed more convenient than today? There will rarely be a perfect time. Move Now!. So here is a practical challenge: What do you already know you should be doing that you keep postponing? And more importantly: What can you do about it within the next 24 hours?
Your Authentic Destination Check: 4 Questions to Answer Today
Stop scrolling and give yourself five minutes for this exercise: Take out your phone, notebook or journal and answer these four questions honestly.
Have I discovered my Authentic Destination? If yes, can you describe it clearly in one or two sentences? If not, what do you currently sense God drawing you towards?
What has God repeatedly placed upon my heart? What ideas, Scriptures, burdens, dreams, convictions, or instructions keep returning? Have you documented them?
Where am I procrastinating? What do you already know you need to do that you have continually postponed?
What ONE action can I take within the next 24 hours? Don't write ten. Choose one. Then do it.
PRAY. DOCUMENT. ACT: This Is Only Chapter 2…
What you just read is adapted from Chapter 2, "Getting to Your Authentic Destination", from my book Switch On Your G.P.S.: Successfully Navigate Life's Journey with God, Purpose and Service. Discovering your destination is only part of the journey. Throughout the book, we explore questions such as:
• Where am I right now?
• What is God's role in my journey?
• What is my purpose?
• How does service help me fulfil that purpose?
• What has God already placed in my hands?
• How do I prepare for a long journey?
• How do I recognise and avoid distractions? And ultimately:
• How do I finish well?
Ultimately, the goal isn't just to start well. It's to arrive where God intended. Discover, Switch On Your G.P.S. Knowing your destination is important, but you need to navigate the journey towards it. Switch On Your G.P.S. will help you explore how God, Purpose and Service can provide a framework for navigating life with greater clarity, intentionality and impact.
Ready to Move Towards Your Authentic Destination? Perhaps you are in a season where you need clarity, and you feel stuck. Perhaps life has changed, and you need to recalculate.
Perhaps you know there is more inside you, but you have struggled to identify what to do next. Or perhaps you already know what God has asked you to do, but you have been postponing it. Switch On Your G.P.S. was written to help you navigate that journey.
You don't have forever, but today. You may not know every step. You may not understand the entire route. You may have many unanswered questions. That's okay; start with what you can do today.
PRAY. DOCUMENT. ACT.
Then take the next step. Your journey matters. Your destination matters. Your purpose matters. And what you do with today matters. Don't spend your life merely travelling. Move towards your Authentic Destination.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is an Authentic Destination?
Your Authentic Destination is the life God created you to live and the purpose He intended you to fulfil. It is not the career your friends admire, the lifestyle social media celebrates or the version of success somebody else chose for you. It is connected to God's intention for your life.
How do I find God's purpose for my life?
I use a simple three-step process: Pray, Document, Act. Begin with God and ask Him what He has created you to do. Write down the Scriptures, ideas and burdens that keep returning. Then take the next step, even if you can't see the whole route yet.
What does G.P.S. stand for in Switch On Your G.P.S.?
G.P.S. stands for God, Purpose and Service. God initiates the process. Purpose gives direction. Service fuels the journey. Together they form a framework for navigating life with greater clarity, intentionality and impact.
How do I stop procrastinating on what God has called me to do?
Recognise that "later" is often the greatest detour. There will rarely be a perfect time. Ask yourself what you already know you should be doing, then choose ONE action you can take within the next 24 hours, and do it.
What if I don't know the whole route yet?
That's okay. You don't need to see the entire journey before taking the next step. Make the call, write the first page, register for the course or serve somebody. Start with what you can do today.
Where can I read more?
This article is adapted from Chapter 2 of Switch On Your G.P.S.: Successfully Navigate Life's Journey with God, Purpose and Service by David Adabale. You can get your copy here.
This article is adapted from Chapter 2, "Getting to Your Authentic Destination", from David Adabale's book, Switch On Your G.P.S.: Successfully Navigate Life's Journey with God, Purpose and Service.
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