chosen by God

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

I don’t know if you realized this or not, but you are chosen by God. He’s not stuck with you; he loves you and chose you to be a part of His Kingdom. John 15:16 says ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.’

You’re chosen by God, and also given a task to further his kingdom. What is that task? In specifics, you need to be available for whatever that may be. However, whatever we’re doing, he’s appointed us to bear fruit for him. So not only are you chosen to be a child of God, but you’re also chosen to bear fruit in his name.

We often label ourselves better or worse than others, or perhaps worthless or useless. But God recognizes we’re broken and live in a fallen world, and still values us and has chosen us to be a part of his kingdom! From this day forward, don’t focus on what labels you have for yourself; focus on who God has labeled you, and bear fruit for him!

Dear Lord, thank You for choosing us.  What a blessing it is to be a part of Your kingdom. Help us know the tasks You have laid out for us, and to follow Your will every day. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

You have value

Ephesians 2:4-9 (ESV)

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Throughout our lives, there are days we simply don’t feel valued. Today, we’re going to look at how valued you really are.

When Jesus came to earth, He told us what love is. More than that, He showed us what love is. He brought the dead back to life, He healed diseases and healed hearts. Jesus gave hope to everyone who came to Him, and gave life to all who believed. He lived a perfect life. During that time, He knew there would be a day He was to be betrayed and nailed to the cruel cross.

Crucifixion is the most painful way to die known to man, because they have to die slowly and with extreme pain the entire time. The word ‘excruciating’ was invented to describe the pain on the cross. Yet Jesus, in all his perfect knowledge and wisdom. He left Heaven to be with us on earth, walk with us, teach us, and die for us; all while knowing He would die in the most painful way possible. He knew it was going to happen from the very beginning, and yet still He chose to die for us!

Why did He do that? Because our sin created separation between us and God; but we are loved and valued so much that Jesus wanted to REMOVE any separation between us and Him! You are loved and valued by God!

Dear Lord,  thank you for wanting to know us! We don’t deserve Your love, and yet You still love us. We pray that You help us to value You in our life too!  In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

What's my purpose?

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Some things are clearly mysteries. Who left the almost empty milk carton in the fridge? Where’s the TV remote? What did I do with my phone?! What’s that weird smell? And, what on earth am I here for – no really, like what’s my purpose? That’s a heavy question.

It’s easy to get stuck in a circle of crazy questions centered on your purpose.

How do I know my purpose? Why can’t “his” or “her” purpose be my purpose? What if my life doesn’t have a purpose? A few questions turn into a tornado of self inquires, and before long you’re wandering down a lonely road filled with potholes of doubt and hopelessness. You’re tripped up and trapped by your thoughts, sometimes momentarily believing these thoughts are true… “Your life really doesn’t have meaning.” “You’re pretty much useless.” “You have no purpose.”

Those are all lies.

God asks us to trust Him. When the milk carton is empty, the remote is MIA, you don’t even want to know where the stink came from, and yes, even when you can’t find your phone – God says, you can trust Him. But seriously - when you aren’t even sure what your purpose or point on the planet is, God says, “Trust Me.”

God knows the plan and purpose for your life. He knows the questions and doubts you have about who you are and who you’re supposed be. And what your Creator keeps telling you through all the questions, fears, and doubts – “Trust Me.”

He knows the plans laid out for you better than anyone else – even you - and those plans are great! It doesn’t mean everything always turns out like a fairy tale or you’ll be rich, but it does mean, as a child of God, you know God is always with you and one day you will be with Him, face-to-face. Think on that! In that moment, that face-to-face Jesus moment, all things will be right. Just, wow.

Your purpose is found through trusting God and faithfully believing He always knows your plan and purpose. When doubt sneaks in, replace it with truth, like that found in Proverbs 3:5-6 reminding us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight “.

Dear Lord, Thank you, for creating us with a plan and purpose. Help us to trust You in all we do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

To be honest, some days just stink.

Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

So God created man in his own image,

    in the image of God he created him;

    male and female he created them.

You didn’t even want to crawl out of bed this morning and now you’ve slept through four snooze alarms. Super. How many “Good morning, Sunshine’s”, “Did you just wake up?”, and “Nice hair” comments will you endure today?

The day moves on, and no matter what you say or do, people take you all wrong. Feelings hurt, people become angry and nothing you do helps the situation. You finish the day feeling ignored. Friends, family and even your faithful pet pass by as if you’re some diseased stranger they’d rather not look at.

Days like this can be draining, especially when they hit you one after the next. Difficult situations often leave a person with not-so-great feelings about who they are or who they’re not. Thoughts of being insignificant, no-good or even worthless creep in and try to make themselves a part of our identity. Good news: Our Heavenly Father has much to say about our identity and value.

Our identity is found in Christ. You were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). That’s good to know, right?! While it doesn’t mean you physically look like Christ, it does mean He equipped you to be Christ-like. He created you in His likeness, to be like Him; that is pretty significant!

Our value is found in Christ. Christ loved you so much He was willing to die for you (Romans 5:8). The awesome thing about Christ’s love – you don’t have to do anything to earn it. He is there in the middle of bad days, unthinkable situations and tragedies. He extends His sacrificial love, letting you know, your value is not found in day-to-day feelings or thoughts. Your value is found in the never-ending love Christ gave for you on the cross.

Remind yourself every day, “My value and identity are found in Christ.” In the book of Matthew, Jesus reminded His disciples not to worry about their value or worth because if He was able to keep up with the life of a small sparrow He was definitely able to keep up with their life – even down to how many hairs were on their head.

And guess what? The message Jesus shared with His disciples is true for you today: you are always valuable – no matter what kind of day you’ve had.

Dear Lord, thank you for creating us in Your image, continuously loving us, and always seeing us as valuable. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The comparison game

Philippians 2:3 (ESV)

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Do you ever see someone and think, “Oh my goodness, I am so glad that’s not me”? Maybe it’s the way they dress, play a sport, act, but you are just so thankful, you are better than, well, that. Don’t lie, we all play the comparison game.

God created you unique, special, set apart for a great purpose; but don’t let it go to your head. We are also called to be humble, servant hearted, and encouraging. That is not so easy in this day in age; I completely understand. You watch tv, movies, and see in real life that “Mean Girls” and “Jerks” seem to rule the school. They seem to be the popular ones, and deep down we all wish for just a little glimpse of that.

Friends, this is not what we are called to do as a Christian. We are called to act like Jesus acted, spoiler alert…. He wasn’t a fan of the so called “popular kids” in his day. Jesus hung out with the cripples, the tax collectors, with the people others literally called “dogs”. In our terms today, he hung out with the geeks, those with special needs, the poor. The people the rest of the world thought of as “weird” or “worthless”. The ones the “popular” people bullied because, “Hey, at least we are not like them, we’re better”.

God created each of us amazingly special for His purpose and plan. Who are we to tear apart our Heavenly Fathers work? So next time you start to think worse about someone ask yourself what Jesus would say if you shared those thoughts with him. Would he laugh with you, or would he go to their defense?

Dear Lord, You made each of us different and special. Help us to encourage others instead of tear them down, even in our own mind. Help us remember that we are Your masterpiece, created new in Christ Jesus. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Just Average?

John 1:45-46 (ESV)

45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

I am one of those people you would call, “Average”. I do things well, but I wouldn’t say I am great at anything. There are people who are better at school, sports, serving, and pretty much everything I do. I would never say I am “one of a kind”, “special”, or “unique”; I am just “average”. Do you feel the same way?

While in High school I was in the band. I always thought the drum majors were great. But because I thought so highly of them, I never had the courage to audition for the part myself. In youth group there were kids who would lead Bible studies and be leaders. Again, I thought so highly of them because God set them apart, he made them special for His plan. There was always someone better than me, so I allowed them to be used by God. I would just step in line and follow. 

Do you know what I realize now? There will always be someone better than me, but God doesn’t care. He still wants to use me! He created me special, unique and has a purpose for me. Look at the disciples, they were just fishermen from Galilee. What about Jesus? He was the son of a carpenter from Nazareth. Yet God did some pretty amazing things through them, wouldn’t you agree?

Do you feel like you are one of the “average” people? Nothing special about you, nothing you can offer God? It’s a lie that Satan wants you to believe. You are one in a million and God has such a big plan for you, if you are just willing to trust him. There will always seem to be someone better than you for the role, but God doesn’t always ask for THE best, He asks for YOUR best.

So, are you going to ignore Gods calling for you and let those you believe are better for God’s plan step in and do it. Or are you going to step up and do your best to fulfill the calling God has specifically for the ‘better than average’ you?

Dear Lord, help us to be strong and courageous. We forget at times that you created each of us special for Your plan and purpose. Help us to follow Your will and trust You even when we think others could serve You better. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Following Jesus to the Nations in Our Neighborhood

Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

    and recovering of sight to the blind,

    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

As we walk in the footsteps of Jesus right where we live, work, and play, fully alive to God's heart for the nations, with confidence we can make ourselves available to friendships from people in other cultures. People from other countries and cultures are moving in next door to us, right where we live. When they do, we remember when God told Abraham, “I will bless you and . . . all the families on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:2–3, emphasis added).

Throughout the Old Testament, God kept pressing Israel to be a light to the world, sending Jonah to the Ninevites, Daniel to the Babylonians, and Esther to the Persians. He placed Jerusalem “at the center of the nations,” with lands around her, so the people called to stay at home could still affect the surrounding nations (Ezek. 5:5). God told the prophet Isaiah, “I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isa. 49:6).

As we interact with soccer moms from China, Uber drivers from Ghana, and elderly grandmothers from Punjab, let’s speak life over people by demonstrating the way life is supposed to be, as Jesus did. The center of many nations are actually coming to us, and we can be a light. Because of our close connection with Jesus, ours should naturally be the life that pours expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet in a humble act of genuine worship, to the whispers of disapproval about this choice (John 12:3–5).

It’s the life that turns over the tables of money changers in the Lord’s temple, speaking of justice in God’s house, in an act of righteous rage because “passion for God’s house will consume me!” (John 2:13–17). It’s the life that fills jars of oil for starving widows while hiding from authorities who wish you dead, and speaks life and faith into action (1 Kings 17:8–16). It’s the life that spends all night praying on a mountain and then chooses twelve disciples to follow him (Luke 6:12–16). Lavish worship, zeal for justice, extreme faith, intense communication with God—all four of these stories illustrate how Jesus modeled the life we are called to live.

As we walk in the footsteps of Jesus right where we live, work, and play, fully alive to God’s heart for the nations, with confidence we can make ourselves available to friendships from people in other cultures. Let’s spend a few minutes asking God to help us see the world as He sees it, for our hearts to mirror His heart, and for new friendships with people from other countries as we follow Jesus, right where we live:

Dear Lord, please shatter any misconceptions we have about our role in reaching the nations. We want to believe that from the very beginning You meant to bless us with the good news of Jesus so that we could be a light that would bless the whole world. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.