What is Advancement?
Everything about life is designed for forward movement if it’s well aligned, arranged in a
line or in proper position. As you know ADVANCEMENT is the act of making
progress, improvement, and promotion to a higher place of dignity. It is an act of moving
or pushing someone forward with force of purpose.
Uncommon advancement is seeing results beyond your efforts and setting the pace with
the helping hands of God. It is advancing to your new level by God’s unexplainable
Intervention. Advancement has some components, which include: rising, acceleration, elevation, promotion, success, and exaltation. Everyone desiring to advance in life must be ready to be intentional about their desired advancement in life. Nothing just happened. Nobody gets to the top by default. Every lifting in life is done intentionally and without aligning one’s will to the desired destination, life will be filled with stagnation, frustration, and pain.
When a man reaches a certain level in life and everything seems stagnant, that is a
sign of not advancing in life. You must be vigilant and careful at every stage of your life.
Telling the same story of life, delay, having nothing good to show and backwardness are
signs of not advancing in life.
The Bible offers great insight into God’s plan for humanity to advance in life,
especially his purpose for the future. The Lord has a great plan for your life.
Scripture tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11
Are you ready to discover God’s plan for your life to advance His Kingdom and your
destiny here on earth? Here are six ways to align with God’s plan for your life.
Allow the Holy Spirit to Lead You
Romans 8:14 says, “For all those who are led by God’s spirit, these are God’s sons.”
One of the greatest gifts God offers us is the privilege of being led by the Spirit of God.
As children of God, we can expect to be led by the Holy Spirit which will provide us
with the wisdom of God to make the right decisions. Our ability to tap into our calling is
much easier when we make decisions based on the leading and guiding of the Holy
Spirit. This wisdom will allow us to make decisions today based on knowing what will
happen tomorrow. What many people fail to realize is that you can develop a personal
relationship with the Holy Spirit just like you already have with God and Jesus. John
14:26 says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will
teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”. This scripture proves that the Holy Spirit is not only a personal guide but also a teacher in this life. Who wouldn’t want the spirit of God to be your forever teacher?
Discover Who You Are in Christ
Your purpose as a believer is to build the Kingdom of God. Your role in His Kingdom will require your natural gifts and talents. As Christians, it’s important to start the exploration of calling with the call to follow Jesus. You are created in his IMAGE (Genesis 1:26). The call to belong to Christ is everything. When we belong to Jesus, we’re finally able to make God look glorious in our lives. This will also empower you to live a greater life in Christ and advance in life as you so desired. There’s no way you can follow God’s purpose in your life if you don’t know who you are in Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in you and draw you closer to Jesus. Jesus is always ready to hold your hands in the journey of life if you let him
(Isaiah 45:1-3).The Bible tells us that we will receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus and the eyes of understanding will be enlightened (Ephesians
1:17-18). God reveals a calling only to those who accept Jesus as Savior. Knowing Him
intimately will change you.
Let Go of Distractions
In this world, it’s so easy to get distracted but if we want to fulfill God’s calling for our
lives, we must refuse to be distracted, particularly by negative advances made by the
enemy. The Bible tells us, “Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay
true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:16). When we’re trying to build up things like our careers, our families, even our finances, it is so easy to get sidetracked. It’s important that we keep the most important things in focus so that we are not distracted. One great way to do this is by designating time for prayer and meditation daily. Before you rush out in the morning, spend time with God and pray that His Will be done in your life.
Give God Your Best
The plan God has for your life can only be accomplished when we give the best of our
time, efforts, gifts, and focus to our specific task. God brings out the best in us when
we give Him our best. The Bible tells us, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the
eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1Timothy 6:12. Just as Timothy was focused and committed to God’s call, and not distracted or distracted by those around him, we too should model this in our own lives. As you grow in your relationship with Christ and separate yourself from the distractions that hold you back from being related to Him, it’s only natural that you will want to give God
your best.
Trust God’s Judgment
God knows what’s best for your life, even when you can’t understand His plan for you.
This is one of the reasons why it’s so important to trust God’s judgment. The Bible tells
us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6. Trusting
God needs to be the first stepping stone on your faith journey. God had a plan for you
before you were even born and His plans will always be greater and more beautiful
than all your disappointments. We can follow His plan by believing that He has
everything in control and that His dominion will guide us exactly where He wants us to
go.
Discover Your Talents
As Christians, we are called to develop the talent and gifts God has given us to use.
These gifts will enable us throughout our lives and allow us to bless others. If we want
to fulfill our calling, we must develop our God-given ability. Paul told Timothy to “fan
into the flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit of God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:6-7). Allow the Holy Spirit to work through you; praying that you will be enabled to do works that will glorify God without fear and according to His plan for us. Our work as
Christians must be an integral part of living in Christ Himself. His redemptive work is
not limited to evangelism but encompasses everything necessary to make the world
what God always intended it to be. God may be revealing His plan for your life, but you may not be able to align with it because you’re not paying attention to the signs around you. You may also be quenching the Holy Spirit and what the Spirit is trying to reveal to you. The Bible tells us, “Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11.
Prayerfully seek God today and ask Him to discern His calling for your life. Ask Him to
give you faith and courage to follow Him wherever He leads you. This will enable you to
follow God’s greater call, better advance His Kingdom on earth, and advance you in
an uncommon way in life.
- Thoughts of God, Dr. Joseph Siju