By: Steve Wilmot
Shepherd boy David was someone nobody thought had any potential for greatness. Nobody, that is, except God. You’re surrounded by people like that, aren’t you? May even be what you believe about yourself.
What you need to realize is God sees you. You’re not merely one of six billion people on earth, lost in the crowd. He sees you. He sees your potential, and he has an unbelievable future for you.
God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to select one of Jesse’s sons as the next king of Israel. Samuel looked at the first son and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord” (1 Samuel 16.6).
But God saw something different and told Samuel, “Not him.”
The Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16.7).
Six more sons walked before Samuel’s gaze and God vetoed each one. Jesse had shown Samuel all his “qualified” sons. Now what?
So, Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
David was an after-thought. No way he could be the one. He’s a shepherd, after all. He’s the runt of the family.
Isn’t it cool that God sees you differently than anyone else does?
Samuel anointed David king. One problem though — Israel already had a king who wasn’t ready to abdicate his throne. He would continue as king as long as he lived.
Here is why this story is so important: David didn’t leave that day thinking, “Wow, that was awesome. I’ll just hang back and wait my turn.”
No, from that point on he lived as if he was king. Maybe he didn’t fully believed it at first and through the dark days ahead, but he lived as if he was the king. You should, too!
Living “as if” is the essence of faith. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see [yet] (Hebrews 11.1).
Here’s the takeaway: You are seen, not for who you are or have been, but for who you are intended to be. Live as if you are already the person God sees.
So how do we live an “as if” life? First, believe it. Here’s why you can believe it: Being confident of this: that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1.6).
Whatever God starts he finishes. Whatever plan he conceives for you, he will complete.
You can’t find one place in the Bible where God started something and said later, “This is more than I expected! You’re in worse shape than I thought! I’d better cut my losses and turn my attention to someone else.”
Never. So, believe God. Second, act on it. Live as if. “Isn’t that lying? Hypocrisy?” you wonder. No! It’s living based on who you really are and what God has planned for you.
You may not be able to see it’s true today but live as if it is because God says it already is and he will finish what he started in you. You will be that person; you will experience what God intends for you; so live as if you already are!
He sees you. He sees the real you. He sees the you he created you to be. If a biologist analyzed and described the DNA of a caterpillar, he would conclude, “I know this looks like a caterpillar to you. But by every scientific test, including DNA, this is fully and completely a butterfly.”
You’d take a second look at the caterpillar, stare at the biologist with a puzzled expression on your face, glance at the caterpillar a third time, and start to smile. “Good one, Doc, you almost made me believe you.”
To which the biologist would return your puzzled expression and insist, “I’m telling you the truth. This is a butterfly! I know it looks like a caterpillar, but one day it will look and act like a butterfly. This caterpillar will mature into what it already is.”
It’s the same with you, my friend. Right now, you may appear and act like a bum. But the truth is you have the DNA of a king. You may still need to mature into how a king behaves, but that doesn’t negate the truth you are already one.
God sees you. He sees the real you. He sees the you he created you to be. So, what if you lived as if that’s who you are already? What if you lived as if you really believed you are who God says you are?
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Steve Wilmot is a former Edgerton, Ohio area pastor who now seeks “to still bear fruit in old age” through writing. He is the author of seven books designed to assist believers to make steady progress on their spiritual journey.
