When Fantasy Kills Destiny

I’ve moved a lot. Whenever I’m about to move, or looking for a new place to live I always try to picture myself there first. What would it be like to LIVE there, to call it “home?” Would my things fit? Would my kitty be happy? Would the space be comfortable? Would I be able to have people come visit? Would I have access to the resources I need? Would I have access to the people and aspects of life that bring me joy?

It’s not just a new home I do this with, a new job, a new endeavor, a new friendship. All too often I let my ability to fantasize dictate the direction I move in life. Here is where I go wrong, (and perhaps you do too) I can only fantasize to the degree of my knowledge. I am limiting my own potential to what I KNOW.

I've heard it said that people can only believe something that is somewhere between 10-15% beyond their scope of understanding. These aren’t exact numbers of course, because there is no real metric for measuring these things, but Arthur Burk gives a great example. I cant remember the specifics of numbers he used, so I will use myself. If there was a pie graph of ALL KNOWLEDGE in the universe, it might be said that I comprehend 6% off all knowledge in the universe. 6% is a VERY generous number here! I also have a concept of things that I know that I don’t know, such as how to put a car together. I know people know how to do it, but I don’t. I understand that the knowledge exists, I just don’t have it. I could say that perhaps 9% of the pie of all knowledge I know that I don’t know. That would bring me to a whopping 15% of known knowledge and things I know that I don’t know.

If I let my ability to fantasize dictate my potential and options, I am severely limiting myself to less than a quarter of the pie! There is a whole 75% of the pie that is totally unknown!



Here is how fantasy can kill our destiny. Often the promises and purposes God has for us, are outside our ability to even fathom. If we only stay within the confines of the “known” we never really step into a place of faith. It is through faith and patience that we receive the promises of God!

Sometimes I get frustrated with not having greater clarity of the will of God. I actually think it is often the mercy of God that He only shows me step by step and little glipses. Sometimes getting a vision of what God has planned can be paralyzing because we can’t see how we will get from where we ARE to where He has called us.

I love the story of Abraham. There is a little half a verse that has so pricked my spirit and deeply inspires me. The second half of Hebrew 11:8 says,

“And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

Wow.

God made Abraham a promise, even though he couldn’t see how it could be fulfilled, he went out in faith, not even knowing where he was going. Faith over feelings. Faith over sight. Faith over understanding.

Fantasy confines us. Faith gives us access to the limitless potential of the plans that the Creator of the Universe has for us—the knower of ALL KNOWLEDGE no matter how far off our grid of understanding!

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

Now to him who is able to do far more 
abundantly than all that we ask or think,

according to the power at work within us, 
to him be glory in the church and in 
Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 
forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21