His Choice

Last night I heard someone say that God wants to bless us for Jesus‚ sake. I‚m not going to call that bad theology, but when I heard it, I was reminded of the many instances in the Bible where God very clearly says He wants to bless us for His own sake. After all, He‚s chosen us, He‚s called us, and it would not do much for His reputation if He couldn‚t take care of us.

But that led me to the question of if He had called me. Some, knowing that I was raised in a Christian home, could easily assume that I am just doing what I was raised to do. I just read the Bible because Mom and Dad said so, pray just because Mom and Dad said so, and so on. That could easily be true, too. But it‚s not.

I am one of untold quantities of people who were raised in a Christian home only to discover that the people I revered didn‚t practice what they preached. I am one of probably millions who have been rejected by Christians for doing what I believed God told me to do. I‚ve been devastated and disillusioned, and I sure don‚t run to God when I‚m in trouble just because my parents said I should.

Others have been through almost exactly the same thing I have, and they wouldn‚t read the Bible if it was the last book left on the planet. They grew up singing "Jesus loves me," and the only way they‚ll even say the name, now, is as a cuss word. So what‚s the difference? Why did their troubles chase them away from God, while mine chased me to Him?

You may come up with a number of possible reasons, but there is only one that really answers: He called me.

He called me. He put His name on me. I belong to Him.

He wouldn‚t have called me if He didn‚t want me. He wasn‚t stuck with me as some sort of last resort, because there were no better options. If He was looking for someone who could get things done, He‚d have found someone better. If He was looking for someone who was compassionate and understanding, He wouldn‚t have picked me—He had a fair bit of work to do before I reached the compassionate and understanding stage. If He was looking for someone who could afford to finance His projects, I would have been at the very bottom of His list.

Fact is, He must have chosen me just because He wanted me. No other reason presents itself.

And if He didn‚t chose me for what I could do for or give to Him, He must have intended to give to me.

So I don‚t need to apologize for what He gives me, and I don‚t have to think for a moment that He doesn‚t want to do anything for me. It‚s His choice. He can do whatever He wants to do.

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