You Were Chosen. Now Go!

Have you ever leaned on your own understanding for anything? Have you ever leaned on your own understanding in why God chose you or called you to do what you're doing? I have and I must admit...I still do. 

Maybe it hasn’t been so much what God has called you to do, but why he even chose you in the first place—maybe you're like me in that you simply have a hard time wrapping your mind around the truth that you've been chosen by God to do great things for His Kingdom and for his glory when you look in the mirror, at your past, or at weaknesses. 

Whatever it is, we’ve all looked in the mirror and said, in one way or another, “Are you sure you picked the right person for this job, God?”  

1 Peter 2:9 tells us, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

What I love about this verse is that it leaves no room for questioning who we are in Christ. What I mean by “in Christ” is simply that when we put our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation we become a new creation and therefore we take on a new identity. This verse makes in very clear who we are because of whose we are. We are called to walk by faith not feelings, and in this verse it's made clear as day that we are: chosen, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession; regardless of whether we are feeling chosen, royal or special that day!  

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.”

I want to look real quick at two words. One of them from (1 Peter 2:9) and the second from (Proverbs 3:5) and see if we can’t learn that we cannot lean on our own understanding of why God chose us to not only be used by Him, but to be his special, treasured and cherished possession.

The word chosen means selected; picked out; taken in preference; predestined; set apart from the masses

Every one of us longs to be chosen. Picked out and singled out; especially us ladies. We so deeply desire to be seen as someone special and set apart. Well guess what, we already are.

One definition of understanding is the word “comprehension.” The word comprehension can be defined as “the act or process of grasping with the intellect…”

Do not look at yourself, your circumstances, and your life through natural eyes and from your own limited perspective. Stop feeling your way through life, reasoning it all out, basing your understanding on your past experiences—and start trusting God...not your own intellect. Our intellect gets us in trouble and all messed up because it's the part of us that likes to reason things out and try to understand. 

In the book of Esther we meet a young women who has been orphaned and adopted by her cousin, Mordecai. Defiantly take the time to go read the whole story in the book of Esther! The book begins with the King of Persia, at the time; King Xerxes looking for a new wife (i.e. New Queen). The way he decided, with some "guidance," to go about it was to have a beauty pageant of sorts. Imagine the Persian version of the Bachelor. They bring all the beautiful single ladies from all around to be paraded in front of the king for him to choose his new bride.

Esther won favor with everyone she met, including the King, and so she is chosen out of all the women to be the next Queen. I am sure there were plenty of moments she looked around and could not for the life of her figure out why she was chosen to be the next Queen of Persia. But, God had put her in that position on purpose and for a purpose. She was going to be the one God would use to save her people (The Jews) from death.

But, what would have happened if she spent all her time trying to lean on her own understanding as to why she was chosen to be Queen “for such a time as this” instead of resting in the fact that she was?  

In (Esther 4:14) we see her cousin, Mordecai, give her a reality check when she begins to give excuses as to why she cannot go before the King and plead for her people, he says, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

She has been chosen, called and positioned for such a time as this. But, so have you and I. Like Esther we are royalty. Remember 1 Peter 2:9? We are a royal priesthood. He (God) the perfect King, has chosen us with all our imperfections and inconsistencies to participate in His perfect plan. So whether you feel chosen or not today guess what? You are and so I am. We are called to walk by faith and not feelings anyway!

So today, What specifically keeps you from believing that you are chosen “for such a time as this,” by God to do great things for His glory? Your flaws and imperfections?  The “voices” in your head of others or past experiences that have convinced you otherwise?

Chose daily to view yourself from God’s perspective. Chose to answer the call of the chosen. Chose to trust God’s wisdom in choosing YOU!

 Resource: "Get Over Yourself." 11 Week Bible Study