Chosen

Ephesians Chapter 1:

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Doesn't that make you feel small? God who created the entire world, chose you even before He created this place that we live. He didn't make you by accident--you are chosen. Not only are you chosen, but you are also called to be holy. What a privilege!

Can you imagine serving a god who did not call you? Can you imagine going before a god who did not choose you but instead they deal with you only because they must?

Our God is available to us. He chooses to commune with us. In fact, the Bible shows us that this is his greatest desire. He desires relationship with His creation. God is so much different than us. Rather than punishing us and lashing out when we mess up--He still chooses us. He still calls us to holiness and offers a life that is faultless in His eyes. Not only does God extend a wonderful hand of mercy to us but He also chooses to bless us.

It is a miserable feeling to run from God. When you run from Him, your life loses purpose. When you leave God's presence, you will try to find something to replace Him--but it won't work. You will always feel unfulfilled. Having a relationship with God is the only way to have a fulfilled life. Finding your place in ministry is one of the greatest feelings on earth. Finding your own personal way to serve God is liberating.

I know there have been times in life when I have taken my focus off of God. It's not that I did not love God, but I began to view my relationship with Him as a fulltime job rather than a privilege. I began to confuse ministry with another night where someone needs me to work on something--or someone needs my help doing whatever. I lost my focus on loving God and doing it because I want to please Him. I began to do ministry because I felt like I was needed. If I didn't do it, who would? I have come to realize that God has literally billions of people on this earth much more talented and gifted than I am. He could replace anything I do in a split second but the reality of the situation is that He chose me. He called me to do this. He desires my relationship. He desires me to seek after Him.

When I step outside of my situation and look at it from God's perspective, my thoughts of work and necessity were just stupid. What does God possibly need? He created everything. He desires us. Our worship. Our devotion. Our love. He doesn't want us to "work" for Him. Ministry is serving Him because we love Him. Ministry is not working so that God will notice us. He knows us beyond what we could ever imagine. I think that if God knows the number of hairs that are on my head--He probably notices me a lot more than I would ever think.

I am chosen. Now I choose Him. I choose to love Him, to serve Him, to devote my life to Him. I choose to do ministry because I want to bless my Saviour. I choose to share Christ because there are so many others that God has chosen and they do not even realize it. I choose to trust Him because He is God.

I am chosen. Now I choose Him.

God, thank You for loving me. Thank you for caring enough about me to choose me and offer me a life faultless in Your eyes. Thank You for the privilege of getting to know You. Thank You for the opportunity to serve You. It is truly a blessing to be a part of Your will. Help me to guard my mind. Help me to always remember your calling on my life. Help to always come back to this very moment and realize that I am chosen--I am not here by accident but You have a plan for my life. Help to stay away from my plan and to always trust Your plan. Thank You for friends who don't give up. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for everything.