Nothing motivates humans like the hope of a wonderful destiny. And if that destiny is certain then people become absolutely fearless because they dwell in the peace of knowing that no matter what happens their ultimate future will be blissful. This is why God wants us to be absolutely confident in our destiny with him. Thus, one of the most important spiritual disciplines is focusing on our destiny, so we can grow in our confidence. This confidence will strengthen us to endure any troubles. We realize that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18 NIV).
Focusing on our destiny enlightens our minds to see beyond the physical realities around us to the reality of the kingdom of God around us. This unstoppable kingdom marches along its predetermined course, bringing all the people of God to the complete fulfillment of the kingdom in the New Creation. We will live in a perfected community of love with God and his followers. This reality is the compass that keeps us moving in the right direction regardless of circumstances.
We see the power of focusing on our destiny in one of the most important stories of the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 16, we read that the great Jewish prophet Samuel anointed a shepherd boy named David. This happened in about 1000 B. C.. Samuel did this because God had chosen David to be the new king over the nation of Israel, even though Saul was still the official king. When Samuel anointed David, “the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on” (1 Sam. 16:13 NLT). We don’t know if David understood why Samuel anointed him because Samuel did not tell David he would be king, and David does not claim to be king after that. In fact, it was many years before David actually became king.
“This reality is the compass that keeps us moving in the right direction regardless of circumstances.”
The Christian life is similar to David’s life. When we repent and believe in Jesus, God adopts us as his child and anoints us with his Holy Spirit and establishes a destiny for us. Unlike David, we can read the New Testament and learn what our destiny is, but just like David, it will be a while before our destiny is fulfilled. David had to overcome many challenges before he became king. Yet in all these challenges he was focusing on his destiny; he believed that his destiny was to overcome with God’s help. This gave him confidence to slay Goliath.
Eventually David did become king and he was the greatest king in the history of the nation of Israel. But God does not promise to make us kings in this age. Instead, he promises that his people, his saints, will be the ones who manage the earth in the age to come. This is a key area of focusing on our destiny.
The reign of the saints is a major biblical theme. In I Cor. 4:8 Paul explains that the time for reigning has not come yet; in II Tim. 2:12 those who endure will “reign with him”; in Rev. 3:21 Jesus promises conquerors that they will sit with him on his throne (!); in Rev. 5:10 the saints “shall reign on earth”; in Rev. 20:4, 6 some saints will reign “with Christ for a thousand years”; Rev. 21:24 mentions “kings of the earth” (which are saints) who enter the New Jerusalem; in Rev. 22:5 the saints “will reign forever and ever”. There will be no bad politicians!
So, like David, we will be leaders one day and enjoy the opportunity to apply our creativity to God’s creation. We will not oppress others rather, we will bless others, which will be tremendously fulfilling for us and make our Father proud. This is part of focusing on our destiny. It allows us to wait a few years in this age of our lives and overcome any challenge until the new age comes, then everything will be as God originally intended.
Focusing on our destiny may not be taught much in our churches, but the bible gives it a high priority. How much time are you spending on this habit?
