I Am Not An Accident

In Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life” – he makes a profound statement. He says,

“You are not an accident. … Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it.”

Jeremiah learns this fact first hand when he hears God say: "I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

Now most of us may not be prophets – but the first part of this verse applies to all of us. God says, “I knew you before.....”. He has set us apart – He has made us special. You are not an accident.



The voice of God comes to announce our extraordinary worth. This worth is inseparably linked to the fact that we were made by God and for God. Our worth to God started before we were born. We have invaluable worth because we were born in the mind of God. We were valuable to God before the world began — because we were already on His mind and in His imagination. This fact is something that can never change or ever be taken away from us. It is the something we can never lose.



David wrote: “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” Psalms 139:14



God prescribed every single detail of my creation. He deliberately chose my race, my gender, the color of my hair, the color of my skin, the color of my eyes – but guess what – He has done the same for you. You see – I am not an accident – and neither are you.



Can you imagine what Jeremiah must have felt when he heard God say: "Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”



Here at this moment Jeremiah hears the voice of God – the Creator of the Universe – He who put the stars in place – He who formed the world and all that we know – from the telescopic to the microscopic – and God speaks to Jeremiah and says: “Jeremiah – you are special. You have been on my mind a long, long, long time.”



How would you feel to hear God say this? Maybe like the writer of Psalm 8: “I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? Psalms 8:4 MSG



In other words – how important are we – that God should even pay attention to us? Yet He does! He says we are very important.



The theme of our value before God can be found throughout the Bible.



In Ephesians chapter two Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus and says: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10



Christians are God’s workmanship – created in Christ Jesus – for the purpose of performing good works – which God prepared for us from the foundation world. Not only has God created each and every one of us unique – He has a purpose for our lives. I am not an accident – I have infinite value – because of who I am in Christ.



Jesus taught on our value when He spoke three parables in the fifteenth chapter of Luke. In the fifteenth chapter of Luke, Jesus spoke about a lost sheep – a lost coin –– and a lost son. Let’s look at these stories. Jesus said: "Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ’Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.” Luke 15:4-7 (MSG)



Jesus went on to say: "Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ’Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’ Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God." Luke 15:8-10 (MSG)



And in Luke 15:11-32, Jesus tells the story of the Prodigal Son that ends with the father telling the older son: “We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!”



In American we place great value on youth, beauty, athletic ability, intelligence, education, wealth and fame. But we need to notice that the Bible places more value is on relationship than anything else. The shepherd has lost HIS sheep. The woman had lost HER coin. The father has lost HIS son. The loss was great because of the relationship that existed. God says you have great value because: "I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.”



God knows me – I have great value – I am not an accident.



Most of us have known someone that was developmentally disabled and mentally challenged. (I believe that ALL of us at CHBC knows someone like this!) People – who for the most part – would never be able to care for themselves. People that would never be able to contribute anything to society – they are totally dependent on others to take care of them. They would never have a relationship with other people except for their family and their caretakers. They will never earn an income. Of what value are they? According to the Scripture they are of immense value to God. The Bible says: "...every living soul belongs to me....” Ezekiel 18:4



They are as much a part of his creation as the teachers, doctors and nurses who take care for them. Their worth to society is the very fact that they dependent on society. They are God’s gift to us. God is teaching us the value of taking care of people who can never return the favor in any way. And yet, those who work with them can tell you that they receive a great deal from these people. God is showing us the value of human life when life is all these individuals have.


Today if you watch any of the CSI type TV shows, you know the importance of DNA. Do you ever wonder if there is such a thing as spiritual DNA? The Bible says: “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)


We have great value because we were created in the image of God. Each of us have been created in His image. Your life finds meaning only in a relationship with the God in whose image you were created. He has a purpose and plan for your life that is different from every other person who was ever created. God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

You are so important to him that, as Jesus said, “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7

Do you beat yourself up because you are not pretty enough – tall enough – smart enough – thin enough? Do you cut yourself down because you feel you are lacking abilities? Remember what God said: "I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

God has made you – who you are. Before He formed you – in your mother’s womb – He knew you.

Folks – no matter what your situation is or was – you are not an accident – God has had you on His mind for a long, long, long time.