Chosen
If you’ve ever bought a puppy or thought of adopting a child, you know something about the criteria for making a choice. Did you ever think about what criteria God used for making you? Ethel Waters used to say, “God don’t make no junk.” But we fret that our eyes are brown not blue, or we’re short not tall, or hundreds of other “what ifs.” When we do that, we’re telling God He made a mistake.
The idea is mind-blowing
that God would choose to make me at all, in spite of knowing in advance that my sin of pride and rejection of His kindness and mercy would result in my wandering in the wrong direction away from Him and trying His patience often for years. What is even more incredulous is that He planned me down to the smallest detail before the world was made. And, get this, He wrote my name in His book of life then too. I am not an afterthought.
When I think that I’m all that and a bag of chips, and question God’s design standards used when He formed me, and I focus on what I’d change, thinking I could do better, I’m fanning the fire of discontent that will lead me down a path away from God and maybe worse.
What I should be thinking about
is that my heavenly Father chose me, warts and all, and loves me unconditionally. Plus, I have standing now as a child of the King with an inheritance recognized when I cross into eternity. None of my self-criticisms of how God made me will change anything now. And when I receive my perfect body, there won’t be anything to criticize. Truth be told, my exterior doesn’t matter now. It’s what I do with what He’s given me that I’ll be judged for.
Being chosen by God has so many benefits,
I can’t list them all here. But here are a few: I’m forgiven of all my sins, I have a home prepared for me in heaven, I have been sealed by the Holy Spirit into God’s family, I have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control, I have access now into the presence of God through prayer, I have hope that transcends logic. If you’re not sure whether you have these same gifts, visit Steps To Salvation on this site.