Designed to be Extraordinary
You were made to be extraordinary! I recently had a conversation with some young people about their favorite movies of all time. As you would imagine, superhero, anime and feel-good animated movies where at the top. So of course, I went to IMDB and looked up the highest grossing films of all time. To my surprise, 8 out of the top 10 all-time grossing films were movies which consisted of a hero motif. These movies all centered around extraordinary characters doing remarkable feats, with a good number of them possessing superhuman abilities and powers. Then I went to the next 10 highest grossing movies, and again 7 out of 10 were the same genre of movies. The same was true for the next 10 highest. I even looked at all-time grossing films adjusted for inflation, and 6 out of those 10 (depending on how you view “ET”) are of the same genre.
It seems like, as humans, our hearts and imaginations are captured and fixated on extraordinary characters with extraordinary powers doing extraordinary things. Why is that?
If we’re honest, I think all of us want to live life in an extraordinary way. Perhaps we look at our own lives and think they seem rather common. I remember a few years ago, Dos Equis beer had a campaign they ran called the “the most interesting man in the world.” The fictional character was known for his exotic adventures and suave demeanor. The actor has since become an international celebrity. There seems to be an innate desire in each of us to rise above commonness.
The good news is, we were created to live extraordinary lives. It was God’s plan from the beginning. God breathed into us the capacity and ability to be more than common. In fact, listen to God himself, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.” (Gen 1:26) In other words we would reflect his very nature. He would go on to say, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1:28)
So not only are we to reflect his very nature, but God blessed us to “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the earth! Take charge!” In other words, “BE extraordinary!” Can you imagine Adam, the first man, naming every species of animal on earth!? Not only did Adam have the creativity to name them all, but he also had the capacity to remember each one. That was an extraordinary man doing a remarkable feat! This was God’s plan when he created us! He created us for so much more.
Yet some of us don’t believe that. Some of us struggle to identify that way. We struggle walking in that identity—as an image bearer of God. We, like our culture and world today, are extremely confused and deceived about identity. We use many things to identify ourselves, including our profession, jobs, family history, looks, gender, sexual orientation, racial group, the words of others…on and on it goes.
All of us live out what we believe about ourselves. How you see yourself and what you believe about yourself impact all areas of life, including your faith and spirituality. Your life today is a result of how you have viewed your identity, both past and present. You will never think, speak, or act in a way that is contrary to the way you view your identity. Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) tells us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he!”
Here is the truth I want you to internalize: God’s view of you is different than what you think of yourself. He created you with extreme value, purpose and abilities. But it all starts with the way you view yourself.
Your DESTINY is the answer to the question, “What has God called me to do?” Your IDENTITY is the answer to the question, “Who has God called me to be?”
1 Peter 2:9-10 says, “But you [identity] are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people [no identity], but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
“Holy” and “belonging” mean set-apart and not common. In fact, to God you are priceless, and you belong to him. Think of it this way: a basketball in my hand is only worth $25. But in the hands of Lebron James, it's worth $52.63 million a year. A tennis racket in my hand is worth $100, but in the hands of Serena Williams, it’s worth $45.3 million a year. A football in my hands is worth $30, but in the hands of Patrick Mahomes, it’s worth $81 million a year.
You are extraordinary and valuable because of whose hands you are in, who you belong to, and who owns you! Isaiah 49:16 says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Imagine, you are permanently etched in the hands of Jesus. This is who you are. This is true of your identity. Therefore, your identity is not defined by your failures, successes, or what others think, but by an unwavering relationship with God. You are his and have been called into his marvelous light to proclaim his excellencies. Therefore, you can live extraordinarily free from insecurity and can act with courage and confidence.
Therefore, BE extraordinary.
It seems like, as humans, our hearts and imaginations are captured and fixated on extraordinary characters with extraordinary powers doing extraordinary things. Why is that?
If we’re honest, I think all of us want to live life in an extraordinary way. Perhaps we look at our own lives and think they seem rather common. I remember a few years ago, Dos Equis beer had a campaign they ran called the “the most interesting man in the world.” The fictional character was known for his exotic adventures and suave demeanor. The actor has since become an international celebrity. There seems to be an innate desire in each of us to rise above commonness.
The good news is, we were created to live extraordinary lives. It was God’s plan from the beginning. God breathed into us the capacity and ability to be more than common. In fact, listen to God himself, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.” (Gen 1:26) In other words we would reflect his very nature. He would go on to say, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1:28)
So not only are we to reflect his very nature, but God blessed us to “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the earth! Take charge!” In other words, “BE extraordinary!” Can you imagine Adam, the first man, naming every species of animal on earth!? Not only did Adam have the creativity to name them all, but he also had the capacity to remember each one. That was an extraordinary man doing a remarkable feat! This was God’s plan when he created us! He created us for so much more.
Yet some of us don’t believe that. Some of us struggle to identify that way. We struggle walking in that identity—as an image bearer of God. We, like our culture and world today, are extremely confused and deceived about identity. We use many things to identify ourselves, including our profession, jobs, family history, looks, gender, sexual orientation, racial group, the words of others…on and on it goes.
All of us live out what we believe about ourselves. How you see yourself and what you believe about yourself impact all areas of life, including your faith and spirituality. Your life today is a result of how you have viewed your identity, both past and present. You will never think, speak, or act in a way that is contrary to the way you view your identity. Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) tells us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he!”
Here is the truth I want you to internalize: God’s view of you is different than what you think of yourself. He created you with extreme value, purpose and abilities. But it all starts with the way you view yourself.
Your DESTINY is the answer to the question, “What has God called me to do?” Your IDENTITY is the answer to the question, “Who has God called me to be?”
1 Peter 2:9-10 says, “But you [identity] are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people [no identity], but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
“Holy” and “belonging” mean set-apart and not common. In fact, to God you are priceless, and you belong to him. Think of it this way: a basketball in my hand is only worth $25. But in the hands of Lebron James, it's worth $52.63 million a year. A tennis racket in my hand is worth $100, but in the hands of Serena Williams, it’s worth $45.3 million a year. A football in my hands is worth $30, but in the hands of Patrick Mahomes, it’s worth $81 million a year.
You are extraordinary and valuable because of whose hands you are in, who you belong to, and who owns you! Isaiah 49:16 says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Imagine, you are permanently etched in the hands of Jesus. This is who you are. This is true of your identity. Therefore, your identity is not defined by your failures, successes, or what others think, but by an unwavering relationship with God. You are his and have been called into his marvelous light to proclaim his excellencies. Therefore, you can live extraordinarily free from insecurity and can act with courage and confidence.
Therefore, BE extraordinary.
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