Chosen First

I hated picking teams. I was never the fastest, most agile, or most popular. I was, however, almost always the one picked last, or so close to last that it fell under "doesn't really matter because we know you aren't useful anyway."

Some of y'all know what I mean.

It is a painful thing to be picked last. We often focus on the "last" part, but really, it is about our desire to be picked first. In our hearts, we want to be first at something, to be seen as acceptable and good. We don't want to simnply be allowed to play. We want to be wanted. We want to be the Chosen One.

One of the most commonly stolen truths is that we are the Chosen One.

John 15:16 says:

You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you. (Amplified version).

Let's talk about what this really means. It doesn't mean, "I am Jesus, and I died for the sins of the world, so you slipped in because I have to take you." That is the lie the enemy fed me for a LONG time. That isn't the meaning of the word "chosen".

"Chosen" is the Greek word eklegomai. It is a combination of words. Ek means "out of". Legos means "to call". Just from that, we can gather that we didn't call Jesus out of Heaven to us. Instead, He called us out of whatever mess, prison (mental, emotional, and spiritual), or brokenness we were in so we would go to Him. He picked us. This is what my Greek/Hebrew Study Bible says about the word: "The word denotes rather simply the act of selecting something, the naming of something as the object desired and hence expressing favor to the object chosen."

Take that in for a moment.

You were not stuck on Jesus' team because you had to go somewhere. He actively chose you because you are the one He desired, and the result is His favor toward you. He's going to do everything He can to make you look good because He's proud He chose you. You are the prize He wants to show off.

Now, let's talk about how He does that.

"I appointed you to go and bear fruit."

The word "appointed" actually means "to set, put, place, or lay down." Now, get this. You were not randomly stuck in a box or just any frame. Jesus picked you, and then He said, "I'm going to put you where you shine the best." He intentionally found the perfect place for you so that you can be successful, show His glory, and be a light in the darkness.

You are not the one demons see and smile about because they know you are an easy out. On the contrary, you have been put in the perfect place so that when you shine all of hell shudders because they know you are going to do great things.

You are not the one doled out because you have to go somewhere. You were chosen, by an omnipotent Lord who has picked the perfect place to show you off.

Do you choose to be bold enough to let Him?

Copyright 2009 Jerri Phillips