“Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it?”
Luke 14:28
Destiny for many people is a mystery, especially as it concerns how we should live in regards to what God has planned for our lives.
However, destiny goes beyond just what God has planned—it is about making decisions that are in sync with that plan.
Too many live reactively rather than proactively.
We must become more proactive if we are to express God’s plan for our lives in such a way we impact our world as ambassadors of Christ.
We each wrestle with what we should do, what’s right, who we should invite into our lives—how we should best manage, say, do any number of things.
…which of you intending…
This is the Law of Intention.
The word “intending” here is the Greek word thelo, which means “to will, to purpose, to determine, or to resolve.”
When it comes to making quality decisions, these are resolutions—intentions you resolve to fulfill.
Your future is an act of will, not an act of skill.
Too often we say we don’t have the education or experience or expertise—we tell ourselves we lack the necessary skill.
However, making a difference, doing something better, or being able to improve the quality of your life is not a skill, it’s an act of the will.
“Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost?”
Luke 14:28
If you intend to do something, you will sit down and give that intention some thought—you will go from intention (motive) to thought (mechanism).
People don’t have the future they dream of because they don’t put enough thought into it. They allow other people’s thoughts to determine where they are going.
As you think in your heart, so you will be.
What you think about yourself—what you believe is possible for you to become, do, or have—is exactly what you will be, do, or have for no other reason than these are your thoughts! (See Proverbs 23:7.)
The verse from Luke goes on to say that only after counting the cost would a wise man build. The intention followed by thought therefore is proceeded by action.
When it comes to your life, this is how destiny is birthed; it flows from these three dimensions:
Intention — Thought — Action
Destiny flows from the dimension of thought…manifesting itself as a product of intention…expressed as an action in obedience to the Word of God.
These are three processes by which you make life decisions that either maintain or alter the path you take in life. Directing your destiny requires deliberate thought, intention, and action.
Destiny is a matter of intentionality; not your skill, but your will.
I think about the woman with the issue of blood in Matthew 9:20-22. The Bible says she had been fighting twelve long years for her health.
One day she happened across Jesus and said to herself, “If I may but touch His garment I shall be made whole”—an intention which produced the thought, “I will reach out to receive healing.”
Scripture says her intention led to an action—“she touched the hem of His garment”—and when she acted Jesus said, “Your faith has made you whole.”
“A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, ‘If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.’ But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, ‘Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well’” (Matthew 9:20-22 NKJV).
Here we see the three elements clearly represented: Intention, Thought, Action.
When you intend to do something heaven conspires with earth to bring the necessary resources to bear for your plans to become reality.
People who try never do; you must have a clear intention.
Look at Genesis 22 where Abraham fully intends to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God.
Here we see that just because God asks you to do something, it doesn’t mean He will require you to do it. It’s when you intend to that heaven conspires with earth on your behalf.
When you intend to do something, God considers it done.
At the very moment you intend to obey is when your blessing is activated.
To live into the fullness of your divine destiny, align your will with God’s will concerning you.
“Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is”
Ephesians 5:17 AMP