Chosen

Have you ever wondered why a perfect God would choose to love imperfect people like us?

It's a truth shared in the Bible time and time again, yet so many are left wondering about it. What truth? That God chose us. That's right. An all-powerful God who really doesn't need much of anything else chose us. Chose to love us. Chose to use us. Chose to save us. This is one of the first things we learn on our Christian journey, but it's one of the most difficult concepts for many to grasp. Why? I'm sure everyone has their own reasoning. If I were to have a guess it would be because God is perfect. Spotless. Blameless. What could He possibly see in us? We sin constantly. Make mistakes daily. We're far from perfect. If you think about it too much, it truly doesn't make sense.

That's why our belief is built on faith and trust. Because there are a lot of things that wouldn't make logical sense if you think about it too much. The crucifixion for one. We have to have the faith to believe, first that Jesus died on the cross in our place for a price that we could not pay. After we find that faith, we must build up trust. Trust that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He promises. At times, it may not make sense. But for a God as loving as ours, it's worth keeping the faith and trust in Him. He did so much for us. Back when He sent His Son to die on the cross for us all those years ago straight through to present time. God is always fighting for us behind the scenes. His love is something I just cannot grasp.

"However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness in his marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

I love how this verse is worded. We are chosen people. We are people who belong to God. I don't know about you, but knowing that I am chosen by God brings me so much comfort and joy. It's so easy to feel the exact opposite. Why would God choose us? I can name the mistakes I made this past week and convince myself that He doesn't really need to use me, yet here I am. Writing this post on my blog for the world to see. I have so many stories that could tell you exactly why God doesn't need me. But He still chose me. I'm sure you feel the same way. If He didn't need us, why would He still choose us? I'm going to let that one sink in a little... The answer is actually right there in the question. If God didn't need us... Technically, God doesn't need anything. But He loves us. Because of this love, He uses us believers to share His love with others who may not believe or are struggling to believe. Sure we're not perfect and we make mistakes, but God uses those, too. Because every mistake, every sin, every poor decision, every bad past... God uses those. He picks us up from wherever we dragged ourselves, dusts us off, and sets us in the way we need to go. Whatever God does in that time, we can share as our testimony to others. Everyone loves to hear a good testimony. It's important to understand that because everyone comes from different walks of life that your testimony might not be as well-received by some as it was by others. Just because that might happen doesn't mean you are anything less, though. God still chose you, and He's still using you.

Have you ever had a time in your life where you didn't feel qualified for what you were doing? You might have found yourself wondering, "Why would anyone choose me?" I've felt that way before. Actually, I felt like that rather recently. It was my turn to teach my church's youth group - I've taught maybe twice and never thought I did an outstanding job, but the kids always seemed to enjoy class. Here it was, my turn again, and I wasn't feeling qualified for the job. I had my lesson for a week, yet hadn't looked at it once. I was running late from my nephew's soccer game. When I finally got to church, I took a few minutes to skim through the lesson but didn't feel confident in what I was teaching. The time to start class had finally come... about ten minutes later than usual. We started the lesson with a Bible passage and I asked a question provided by the curriculum. The kids just kept giving the best answers. Within the twenty minutes of class that were left, there was such an amazing conversation that had developed between the teens and the teachers. We only ever got through part one of three, but that was truly all we needed to cover that night. I left feeling that our conversation with the teens was something that they could have really benefitted from, and hoped they would follow through with what we had talked about. The next day, I had heard from another youth leader that she thought I had done a wonderful job. I sat there for a moment wondering if she had been in the same class. While we had our conversation, I came to realize exactly how God had used me and the other youth leaders to lead a very significant class that past youth night. Sometimes, we can get in our own way. In times like those, it's important that we remember God is using us. Always. No matter what we think.

"Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." Ephesians 1:4

We are chosen. God loves us and chooses us daily. As I said above, we can get in our own way sometimes. It's so easy to stop believing the truth that God chooses us. Why? Because it's so easy to listen to the lies the enemy tells us. If we aren't well established in our walk with Christ or are going through a difficult season, he knows we'll listen to those lies. And if we believe those lies? Maybe we won't step out and do that thing God has been putting on our heart recently. Maybe we won't think we're qualified for the job. Maybe we'll doubt our true identity in Christ. There's a song that I absolutely love that says, "You don't have to be enough to be somebody Jesus loves." That is a reminder I need often. I'm sure you guys could use it, too. The best thing about Christianity is that Jesus loves us no matter what. No qualifications. No fine print. Just pure love. All we have to do is accept the love that He freely gives us. We are chosen.

Imagine the floral section of the grocery store. There are so many different flowers to choose from. Different varieties, colors, and sizes. When you want to get some flowers for a friend, do you just pick up the first bouquet you see? No. You stop, inspect the flowers, and search for the best ones you can find. Let's flip that perspective really quickly. God is looking at us. Not for us acting perfectly - just the real us. He looks past our imperfections, sins, self-criticism, and flaws to see the beauty within. Just like that perfect bouquet of flowers in the grocery store. He spends his time working on us so that we might see ourselves that way, too. I feel like I've said it a lot already, but I'm going to say it again. God chose us. And He still chooses us today. My question to you is are you allowing God to use you? Going back to the youth night at my church... I could have listened to the lies and what I was feeling at the time and not have been used to help lead such a strong class. But I pushed forward and allowed God to work through me. Will you allow God to use you? Take a moment or two and think about the recent calls you feel God is putting on your heart. Pray about them and talk with God - like have an honest conversation with Him. It's so freeing. When you have prayed about it, see where He leads you. And remember, no matter what the enemy tries to tell you, God will always choose you.