In the book of Genesis we hear of the tragic beginning of humans. How they lost their union with their Creator and lost harmonious community with fellow humans. But in the New Testament we hear a happy ending. All our prayers, and suffering, and trusting, and sacrifice finally bring us to our eternal destiny. God wins over sin and evil. After death He will give us new bodies and new souls that can receive all He has for us. And his followers will enjoy living with Him forever. This is a key foundation of spiritual theology and spiritual formation.
In Revelation we learn that God restores all that was lost in the fall. The Bible begins with a Garden of Paradise that humans must leave because of their sin. But in the end, God cleanses our sin completely and permanently, and restores us to a paradise in a Garden that is even better than the first:
“And the angel showed me a pure river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, coursing down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will anything be cursed. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.”
(Revelation 22:1-5, NLT)
When humans were banned from the Garden after the fall they lost the privilege of eating from the tree of life. Now we get to eat of the tree of life again! And there is a river of life, and we get to drink from it. So we have a new life forever. There is no curse, so all our fears, and shame, and guilt are gone. We will have a joyful and exciting life beyond anything we can imagine. We actually get to see the face of God and of our Saviour, the Lamb, Jesus Christ! And we get to reign with Him forever; we may not know what this means but he will greatly honor us!
So let us focus on this destiny of ours. I find that as I focus on what God will make me it is easier to naturally let go of anything that encumbers me from being more like Christ and doing his works. When we meditate on our destiny and keep it in our awareness it changes us somehow. Worldly things become less important; good things are forgotten in favor of the best things. Self-sacrifice for others makes more “sense” to our soul and we find ourselves looking for ways to have the biggest impact possible for the benefit of others.
One practical way to increase our focus on our destiny is to meditate on a verse or phrase from the Bible related to our destiny. Perhaps pick a phrase from the Revelation 22:1-5 quoted above and just start repeating it throughout the day. Do this for a week and see how it affects your attitude. Remember, this life is just a prelude to our eternal life: God rewards how we live it so live it as best as you possibly can.
How much do you think about your destiny? How would a destiny perspective affect your response to your present challenges?
