Light, or knowledge, causes us to rise, shine, and walk in glory. Light equals knowledge. The Bible says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come.” This is because you have access to knowledge. Knowledge means you have learned something, and what you have learned gives you direction, distinction, and the ability to walk in glory. There are many things to know about yourself that will enable you to live a victorious life in Christ Jesus.
There is something you can know that will give you more energy than you currently have and cause you to walk at a higher level of glory. The most important thing we can know is the knowledge of God.
1) Know Your Purpose in Life
Know your purpose in order to fulfill your assignment.
Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
John the Baptist said, “I am the voice.”
Jesus Himself knew who He was.
John 18:37: “Pilate therefore said unto Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’”
1 John 3:8: “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
Ask God:
“Lord, what is my life all about? What is my existence all about? What do you want to do with me in this life?”
There is not a single person whom God created without a purpose.
2) Know Your Potentials (Your Giftedness)
What are your potentials? Know your gifts, develop them, and study them.
Genesis 41:15–16: “Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream, you can interpret it.’ Joseph answered Pharaoh, ‘I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.’”
Joseph knew himself. He knew the gifts he carried. He knew he could interpret dreams.
Daniel 5:11–12: “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and diviners.”
These were people who not only knew their gifts but whose gifts were also recognized by others.
3) Know Your Strengths
Know the positive traits and tendencies you possess. These are not necessarily giftings but positive qualities.
Acts 17:10–12: “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
The Berean Christians were commended because they searched the Scriptures daily to verify what they heard. What a quality!
Acts 17:1–2:
“Now, when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.”
Paul had a trait of regularly going into the temple. Some people are naturally cheerful, smile often, and bring joy wherever they go. That is a strength. Some people have a great sense of humor, while others easily forgive offenses. These are strengths.
Identify your strengths—the positive attributes that people often notice and appreciate about you.
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4) Know Your Weaknesses
Know your negative traits and tendencies. Every human being has weaknesses. They may not necessarily be sinful, but they can still be negative traits.
Esau had a weakness for his appetite, in Genesis 25:29–34
His stomach controlled his life. He was willing to sell his birthright for a meal. He placed little value on eternal matters and great value on temporary ones.
Judas Iscariot had a weakness for money.
In John 12:4–6, He was in charge of the money bag and assisted himself from it.
5) The Devil Takes Note of Your Weaknesses
To succeed in life, you must maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. Empower your strengths and weaken your weaknesses.
Build on your strengths and pull down your weaknesses. Any good trait should be developed. Any bad trait should be confronted and overcome. When people tell you that you are too proud or too full of yourself, do not take it lightly.
The devil often exploits weaknesses to destroy destinies. If he wants to destroy a life, he will identify a weakness and use it as an entry point.
Moses was unable to enter the Promised Land because of uncontrolled anger. In anger, he broke the tablets of the Law and later struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it as God commanded.
6) Assist Yourself in Fulfilling Your Destiny
David nearly ruined his destiny because of his weakness for women. The devil positioned Bathsheba and used that situation to bring him down.
Judas could not control his love of money and it ultimately led him to destruction. He loved money so much that he sold his “Master.” Ironically, the money brought him no benefit; it was eventually used to buy a burial field.
Esau’s destiny was damaged because of his love for food. Some people find it difficult to deny themselves even in simple matters, such as food.
There was a man in ministry who was highly anointed and charismatic but extremely proud and arrogant. People warned him that his pride would destroy him. His response was, “Let it destroy me.” Eventually, it did.
Some people have had their lives destroyed by anger. Anger has sent people to prison because they committed acts they later regretted. Others struggle with laziness.
When a car is parked and not driven for weeks or months, problems begin to develop. There is something called disuse atrophy—the deterioration that comes from lack of use. When a person’s arm becomes paralyzed, it may initially be the same size as the other arm, but over time, it begins to shrink. Likewise, when a house remains unoccupied for a long period, cracks begin to appear.
The same principle applies to character. Anything neglected eventually deteriorates.
The serpent you do not control today can become a dragon tomorrow.
You may deceive others, but do not deceive yourself. Be honest and say, “I have a challenge in this area.”
If you struggle with handling money, do not let them put you in a position as a cashier until you have developed integrity in that area.
If you have a problem with women, and they want to make you the principal of a girls’ school, refuse and say, “I cannot be the principal of an all-girls school. What I need is an all-boys school.”
Assist yourself to fulfill your destiny.
When your problem is talkativeness, do not let people bring gossip to you. Do not make unnecessary statements because silence cannot be misquoted. Nobody can say, “Oh, he did not say anything, but this is what he would have said.”
7) Know Who You Are in Christ
Many people attend church but do not truly understand who they are in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
You are not an ordinary person; you are part of a royal priesthood. You carry both kingly authority and priestly responsibility. You do not belong to darkness, and darkness cannot overwhelm your life.
Ephesians 2:6: “And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
You cannot be seated on the 65th floor of a skyscraper and be worried about a barking dog on the ground floor. Likewise, when you understand your position in Christ, you will not be intimidated by every threat or challenge that comes your way.
Inspired by Pastor Paul Enenche
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