By: Steve Wilmot
Edgerton, Ohio
It’s one of the scariest moments in gym class. Time to pick teams.
Two captains stand a short distance from their classmates and choose their teams. It’s a given the best athletes are picked first. Then their friends, and finally the not-so-good-at-sports kid.
If you’re in the first or second group, you don’t sweat it. But those in the last group tremble in fear they will be picked last. It’ll confirm once again they aren’t wanted.
Life is like that sometimes, isn’t it? We walk through life afraid we won’t get picked. Friends in the “in” crowd are longed for. The promotion goes to the guy the boss likes, whether he’s the most qualified or not.
The gal in her mid-thirties wonders if anyone will love her and ask for her hand in marriage. When it’s time to pick participants for next year’s Fantasy Football League, you’re convinced they asked you because they couldn’t find anyone else.
All we want is to be picked. Chosen. Wanted. To belong. Do you know God wants you? He doesn’t have a list of qualifications or achievements you must meet before he picks you. In fact, he selects you because you don’t have it all together.
In one of his speeches to Israel, Moses said this: “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
God set his affection on Israel and chose them because HE loved them. Not because they earned it. Not for something moral or heroic they did, but simply because he loved them.
God doesn’t choose to shower his love and affection on anyone because of their meritorious lifestyle. He doesn’t hand out a list of minimum requirements to meet or work toward before they can be chosen to belong.
In fact, in Deuteronomy 9:4-6, God tells them three times he didn’t give them the Promised Land because of their righteousness or integrity. Oh no. He did it even though “you are a stiff-necked people.”
Stiff-necked. Unbending. Unwilling to submit to God. Stubborn. Arrogant enough to believe their choices were better than God’s.
That was Israel. That is us. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for being good enough to be picked by God. Kind of takes away any rationalization that we can earn a spot on God’s team, doesn’t it?
It’s kind of like the difference between natural birth and adoption. In natural birth, you get what comes out. You can’t give her back or swap her with another newborn who doesn’t cry all the time. She’s the product of your love with your spouse, and she belongs to you.
Those who adopt a child have choices. Race. Sex. Age. Health background of the mother and more. The couple does their research and picks the baby they want from all the potential sons and daughters.
Paul tells us God chose to adopt us. He knows about your past—even the secret things you think you’ve hidden from everyone. He sees your addictions and how you abuse your wife and ignore your children. But God still wanted you, so he adopted you—chose you.
It’s even better than that. God has an advantage adoptive parents don’t have. He can peer into the future and see what you will do. The good, the bad and the ugly. Knowing the past you and the future you, he still stretches out his arms toward you and says, “I want you.”
God picked you (or will if you’ll let him) for one reason and one reason only. He loves you. The worst you. The you who totes around lists of things you regret but can’t redo.
You belong for one reason: God set his affection on you. He loves you with an unconditional love. A love you’ll never deserve no matter how hard you try.
You may have always been picked last on the playground, but God singled you out for his own team. Mighty cool!
I sent the short summary email to publisher@thevillagereporter.com and the send went through.
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Steve Wilmot is a former Edgerton, Ohio area pastor who now seeks “to still bear fruit in old age” through writing. He is the author of seven books designed to assist believers to make steady progress on their spiritual journey.