Chosen

          For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. (Ephesians 1:4a)

          Many years ago, I applied for a job at a store, and, as usually happens when I’m going to get the job, I got it at the first interview. It’d be nice to think that somehow I was such a clear and obvious choice, a cut above all the others who had applied. I’d like to think that the woman who hired me got together with the other members of the management team and crowed “Whoo hoo – I got me a good one!” (perhaps more grammatically correct than that.) If she did, it was probably short-lived. Before long, I think her attitude would have been more of “What did I do?”

          My reaction may be even more to the point. I remember thinking, “Oh no, they’ve hired me. Now I have to work here. What am I going to do?” I needed a job, so I took it, thinking that within six months I would find something better. Thirteen years later, I left that job to take care of my father. Sometimes, being chosen feels like hearing a call for volunteers to step forward, and discovering to your horror that everyone else in line has stepped back!

              Don’t get me wrong. When it comes to being chosen by God, it is an honor and a blessing, It’s also an “Oh no, He hired me, how what am I going to do?” Because God doesn’t choose people because they’re great. If you believe He does, you haven’t read your Bible. For that matter, you haven’t read your Harry Potter, or in general, you haven’t read enough fantasy literature. Yes, there are stories of wildly gifted folks, but Bilbo Baggins was dragged on his journey as a thief, and might be said to have become one. Frodo was chosen for his adventure because he was the heir of Bilbo Baggins. Harry Potter (at least by book 4) is a sub-par student of magic at Hogwarts. Even the “Dread Pirate, Roberts” didn’t have to be a dread pirate. He just had to be convenient when the previous holder of the title decided to retire, and be willing to wear the mask.  Even Superman, as great as he supposedly is – if the truth were shared in the comic books, his strength should have been less than others from his world. He is great because he is not human, and lives among humans. But he wasn’t chosen based on an objective review of all the residents of Krypton. He was chosen because his parents loved him. If Krypton had survived, and he had lived there, he might well have been the 98 lb. weakling.

          Israel was told repeatedly that God didn’t choose them because they were this marvelous thing. No matter who God chose, they would have ended up Israel. In the same way, I’m not chosen because I’m worthy. Neither am I chosen to be rich, powerful, famous, beautiful, or victorious. You are chosen for any of those reasons, either. We are chosen to be holy and blameless in His sight. And all those things that we tend to want to think being a chosen one means…. They get in the way.
          There's one more thing about being chosen. God is omnipotent. That means that if He chose you to be holy and blameless, you needn't worry about it. You will become holy and blameless.