Dual Destiny
From the Series—Visioneering
August 13, 2002All of us have a dual-destiny. One destiny is universal--to become like Christ. Romans 8:29 says, “We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ.” In the words of Max Lucado, “God loves you just the way you are, but he wants you to be just like Jesus.” As followers of Christ, our ultimate goal is to be just like Jesus.
The other destiny is unique--to become like you. One of NCC’s core values is everyone is invaluable and irreplaceable. There never has been and never will be anyone quite like you.
Jillion Gazillion
In his book The Arithmetic of Life and Death, George Shaffner writes about “The Probability That You Would Be You.” All of us have 46 chromosomes--23 from each parent. Shaffner calculates the probability that you would get the 23 chromosomes you got from your mother as ½ to the 23rd power--that’s 1 in 10 million. The same is true for the 23 chromosomes you got from your father. From a biological perspective, if you multiply those two together, the probability that you would be you is 1 in 100 trillion. But you have to factor in that your parents had the same probability, and their parents, and their parent’s parents. George Shaffner concludes by saying that the probability that you would be you is a jillion gazillion. That is a mathematical way of saying you’re absolutely unique. And God has a unique plan for your life.
Pre-Destined
On January 25, 1995, I was preaching at a church in Washington, DC. That was back in our pre-kids, pre-NCC days. The reason I remember that particular Sunday is because of the pastor’s prayer at the end of the service. It started out as a generic benediction, but in the middle of his prayer he turned toward my wife (I was peeking) and prayed, “God, bless the little one within.” Afterwards he explained that God had given him a prophetic word that Lora was going to have a baby. As far as I know, we are the only couple I’ve heard of that found out they were pregnant in church! The doctor confirmed the prophetic prayer the next week and nine months later that prophecy became reality when our first son, Parker, was born on September 26, 1995.
The word “predestined” took on a whole new meaning! That experience personalized an abstract theological concept. Before you were even conceived, God had a plan and purpose for your life! That’s what the Lord says to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Psalm 139:16 says, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” We can choose to fulfill our God-given destiny or settle for second-best.
Potential
We tend to judge people based on past performance rather than future potential. That’s the difference between the Pharisees and Jesus. The Pharisees were always writting people off because they looked at past performance. Jesus looks past the imperfections and sees the God-given potential to become the people we were predestined to be. Goethe said, “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.” People tend to rise or fall to the level of our expectations! God knows your worst failures, yet no one has higher hopes for you! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Final thought. The Irish Philosopher George Berkeley said, “To be is to be perceived.” What does God see when he looks at you? He sees the person you’re destined to become. He sees Israel in Jacob. He sees Peter in Simon. He sees Paul in Saul. And He sees the true you. What God sees when He looks at you is who you really are! To be is to be perceived by God.
You have a parent-given name, but that’s not your real name or true identity. Your God-given name is your real name, your true identity. Revelation 2:17 says, “To him who overcomes...I will give a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” John Eldredge says, “The history of a man’s relationship with God is the story of how God calls him out, takes him on a journey and gives him his true name.”
This evotional concludes the visioneering series. Past evotionals are available in our evotional archive at http://www.theaterchurch.com. You can also subscribe or unsubscribe to the evotional list at http://www.theaterchurch.com.