Discover Your Unique Path to Success
Throughout my journey, I've come to believe that about 98% of people are followers, while only 2% are true leaders or influencers. This might sound harsh, but Psalm 14:3 reinforces this notion: “The ninety and nine follow their fellow.” It’s a challenging insight into human nature, suggesting that most people prefer to follow the crowd rather than pave their own way.
When it comes to pursuing wealth, fame, and power, the majority tend to make someone else’s success their own goal. Our natural desires push us toward what appears to be the quickest route to fulfillment. The “famous today and gone tomorrow” figures dazzle us with their apparent success, offering a tempting vision of the good life. If success could be bottled and sold, it would become the best-selling product of all time. But the reality is that true success cannot be bought, imitated, or rushed.
These hungers stem from what I call the faculty of the flesh. The flesh is one of two dominant influences within us, and it craves instant gratification. It drives our emotions, fuels our hopes, and often takes control of our imagination. Like a child demanding candy before dinner, the flesh focuses on what’s immediately satisfying, often disregarding long-term consequences. It’s insatiable and constantly wants more—more wealth, more fame, more status—without consideration of the deeper, lasting rewards that come from spiritual growth.
Why Chasing Someone Else’s Dream Leads to Emptiness
The problem with following the flesh is that it’s based on superficial desires. It’s driven by the allure of success as defined by others: bigger homes, flashier cars, more followers on social media. But this kind of success is like a mirage in the desert. It appears promising from a distance, but once you reach it, you often find it unfulfilling. The success of others may look like a beautifully decorated cake, but we rarely consider the effort, ingredients, and experience required to create it. We want the final product but not the process that goes into making it.
Success, when defined by worldly standards, becomes a fleeting pursuit. You achieve one goal only to feel the need for the next, and the next. The hunger remains because it’s not fed by a sense of true purpose. As a result, people often find themselves chasing dreams that were never meant to be theirs, which leads to frustration, burnout, and disillusionment.
The Role of the Spirit: Your True Guide to Destiny
Thankfully, there is another dominant influence within us—the faculty of the Spirit. Unlike the flesh, which thrives on immediate satisfaction, the Spirit offers a connection to something far greater: a direct line to God’s purpose for your life. The Spirit guides us toward a destiny uniquely crafted by God, a path that cannot be replicated or imitated by others.
However, in many people, the Spirit lies dormant. It is overshadowed by the louder demands of the flesh, leaving people to rely on worldly motivations. But when the Spirit is awakened, it becomes the compass that guides us to our true calling, revealing what God intended for us from the very beginning. While the flesh often leads us on divergent paths that end in disappointment, the Spirit leads us on a path of fulfillment and alignment with God’s will.
How to Identify Your Unique Destiny
Each person’s destiny is as unique as their fingerprints. Your success will not look like that of others, nor will your failures and challenges. God has a specific plan for you that aligns with His greater purpose. Discovering this plan requires intentional reflection and self-awareness. Here are some ways to identify your unique path:
Evaluate Your God-Given Gifts
Start by taking an inventory of your natural talents, skills, and experiences. Consider your upbringing, geographic location, family background, and personal strengths. What qualities or skills come naturally to you? Are you a gifted communicator, a skilled problem solver, or someone who thrives in creative pursuits?
It’s important not to undervalue what you have, regardless of where you started. Each of these traits is a clue that points toward your calling.
Follow Your Joy
Pay attention to the activities that bring you joy and a sense of accomplishment. Your passions are often indicators of your destiny. Where do you feel most alive? What pursuits make time seem to fly by? Your heart’s true desires often align with the calling that God has placed within you.
Don’t overlook the traits that others notice in you, even if you consider them insignificant. These traits may be the seeds of your calling, waiting to be nurtured.
Assess Your Impact
One of the simplest ways to identify your calling is by observing the impact you have on others. Do people often come to you for advice or support in a particular area? Are there consistent patterns in the way you help others, solve problems, or bring positive change to situations? This can be a sign of where God wants you to make a difference.
Recognize the Growth Journey
Your calling is not always immediately clear, and that’s okay. Sometimes it takes years of trying different things, learning from failures, and building on small successes to uncover your true purpose. Trust that God is guiding you through each experience, shaping you to fulfill the destiny He has planned.
Allow Room for God's Surprises
Remember that God’s plan often includes unexpected detours. These are not signs of failure but opportunities for growth. Trust that each twist and turn is part of a bigger picture that you might not yet understand. Allow yourself to be open to changes in direction, knowing that God’s guidance is present in every moment.
Embracing the Adventure of Your Unique Calling
God’s plan for you isn’t about replicating someone else’s success. It’s about fulfilling a distinct purpose that aligns with His grand design. The Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” serves as a reminder that we are called to manifest God’s will uniquely on earth. Your path is tailored specifically for you, and success comes from walking it faithfully.
If the majority (the 98-99%) were all meant to be wealthy celebrities, the extraordinary would become ordinary. But God’s intention is not for everyone to achieve the same version of success. Instead, He created diverse callings, each with its own challenges and rewards. Your destiny may involve leadership, creativity, compassion, teaching, or service. Whatever it is, it will be uniquely yours.
Final Thoughts: Success Beyond the Flesh
The journey to true success is found in where you fit in the Big Plan. It’s not about chasing wealth, fame, or power as defined by the world. It’s about aligning with the Spirit and pursuing the path God has set before you. Your calling will not always lead to instant rewards, but it will lead to lasting fulfillment. By following the Spirit’s guidance, you can achieve a success that goes beyond what the flesh can offer—a success that resonates with your soul and reflects God’s glory.
Finally, know that when you are following the Spirit as a believer, start paying attention to the things God has put in place to prepare you. Very often, unexpected events will be the next open door of self-discovery.
God intended you to be a success in life no matter what that success looks like. If you are not the 2% whose success is built on the fleeting self-gratifying things that inflame our desire to possess them too, you may be more blessed than they are.
You will be a success in life if you discover your calling and pursue that to a reward that God has already prepared for you.
Join us at theprincipaltruth.com to learn the Biblical teaching that everyone can have success at any level of life.
