Read: Ephesians 1:3-6
The most anxiety-inducing experience for many of us in elementary school was recess, specifically when it came time to pick teams for dodgeball. Remember standing there while two 8-year-olds try to determine your worth? The whole time you’re thinking, “Please don’t be last, please don’t be last.” No one wants to be last because they feel rejected. But when you were picked early, it was the best feeling: you felt loved and accepted.
When we grow up, we discover that the desire to be chosen never goes away. You still want to be someone’s favorite or number one, and being rejected still hurts.
This truth reflects a deeper truth about our spiritual lives. We still want to be accepted, but the good news is that God’s choice of us is not based on our merits, but on His loving vision and purpose for us. This concept of being chosen is repeated in Ephesians, where Paul speaks of how God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and chose us before the foundation of the world. This divine selection introduces us into a loving relationship with God and lays the foundation for our faith.
When we consider that we are chosen by God, we should feel a deep sense of security and purpose. Knowing that our faith is not the fruit of chance, but part of God’s sovereign plan, can give us confidence in our identity and vocation as his children.
You are chosen, not because of what you have done, but because of His vision and purpose. This is how God sees us, with love and intention.
Questions to ponder:
- How does knowing you are chosen by God affect your sense of identity and purpose?
- What spiritual blessings have you experienced in your walk with Christ?
- How can you live out the reality of being chosen in your daily life?