Chosen

Do you feel, or have you ever felt, chosen by God? Have you ever felt that you didn’t hold an important enough position, weren’t wise enough, strong enough, or holy enough to be chosen by God for something? I know that I have felt that way and still do sometimes. It’s easy to let the lie that God wouldn’t choose you because you aren’t famous and or don’t have a large circle of influence. There are so many other people in the world for Him to choose from and yet He created you for a purpose. There are many “Heroes of the Faith” in the Bible that rise above less than ideal circumstances to become men and women who do big work for the Kingdom of God. We’re reminded of this often if we grow up in church. The thing that can be challenging, in my opinion, is that we get to read about those people after they’ve lived their entire lives. So, when I came across a few verses in 1 Corinthians as I was reading a devotional last week, they really stuck with me.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” I’ve thought about these verses multiple times since I read them and I keep seeing “God chose” jump out at me. God is so intentional about everything that He does. He isn’t surprised by anything and He knits us together in our mother’s wombs (Psalm 139:13). He has a purpose for each of us and as we see in these verses, He often calls people who are ordinary to build His kingdom.

It isn’t that He doesn’t call those who are wise, powerful, or of noble birth, but rather that those people don’t make up the majority of the people He has called to do His work. Sometimes He intentionally chooses what is foolish, weak, low and despised, or nonexistent in the eyes of the world in order to show who He is. His kingdom is not of this world, so the world’s standards are not the standards of His kingdom (John 18:36). The world doesn’t understand His kingdom because His kingdom is set apart from the world. In 1 Samuel 16:7, we read, “…For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”” This verse appears during the time when Samuel was about to anoint the future king of Israel — David — when he was still years away from becoming king. David wasn’t chosen king based on what other people — even his own father — thought would make a good king. He was chosen king based on what God saw in his heart. He was the youngest and he was “only” a shepherd — not anything exceptional by the standards of the world, yet he goes on to become one of the most well known kings of Israel and he is called a “man after God’s heart” by God Himself (Acts 13:22). It is from David’s line that Jesus would come and his line is filled with ordinary people that God chose to use for His purposes and to build His kingdom.

I don’t know where it comes from, but I’ve heard people say to “Turn your waiting room into a classroom.” The idea that we should be preparing for whatever is coming before we arrive at our destination is very wise in my opinion. I think our entire lives are lived in the “waiting room” in regards to eternity, but there are many “waiting rooms” we can find ourselves in here on earth. David’s life reminds me of this when I think about his courage and bravery in facing Goliath. David’s “waiting room” was when he was tending his father’s flock. He wasn’t intentionally preparing to face Goliath, but God used it to build the courage that would one day be required to face Goliath. When the time came, David was prepared and ready because of the time he spent learning to be a good shepherd (1 Samuel 17: 34-36). I think there is something to be said for using our lives to glorify God by always seeking to learn and grow wherever we find ourselves. He has a purpose for us and if we don’t feel like we’ve figured out exactly what that purpose is yet, I think we should be diligent to seek it out. I think we should do the little things that we can now and continue to ask Him to guide us and lead us on the path He has for us. Proverbs 19:21 says “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.”

So, while I’m aware of some of the purposes that God has for me like being a wife and a mama, I also think He has things for me to learn in preparation for something in my future. I become more and more aware of how short life is the older I get and it makes me want to live my life well — for however long it is. I know that there are so many areas for me to learn and grow in and I want to be better about using my time in a way that’s honoring to God. I want to make the most of this life that I’ve been given and always remember that the God of the entire universe saw fit to create me for a purpose. He has chosen me and can use me for His kingdom and His purposes — and the same goes for you too!

Do you feel like you’re currently in a “waiting room” in your life? Do you feel like you’re using the time you’ve been given to live well? What is your favorite way to learn?

Song(s) of the Week: This week I chose “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller and “Who Am I” by Casting Crowns. Enjoy!