What does it mean to be chosen?

When I was in school, I remember the panic and dread of playing dodgeball in gym class. The boys would throw the ball with such force it would sting.

However, the painful slap of the ball wasn’t the worst part. The most difficult time occurred when the leaders picked the teams. The teacher would select two captains who would alternate back and forth choosing their players from members in the class.

I felt such relief when I was accepted on a side because I worried about being the last person to be chosen. While I disagree with this particular method for creating teams, the process highlights how awesome it feels to be picked.

Humanity responds positively to the experience of inclusion, to being chosen when someone decides he or she wants us on the team.

In Deuteronomy 10:14,15, we see how amazing and powerful God is. He remains the Master of all things in heaven and on earth. Moses (the author of Deuteronomy) didn’t simply extol the virtues of God. Rather, he set us up to understand the true value of relationship with God and our worth in His eyes.

The literal Creator of the universe loves us and cares for us every moment of our lives. He opts to be in relationship with humankind. He appoints each one of us in the same fashion that He selected the leaders and individuals written about in the Bible.

God chose us, not because of our 40-yard dash times, jump shots or tennis serves. God Almighty seeks to have a loving relationship with each one of us, to share His precepts and goodness, and to use us to bring the good news of the gospel to those in our surroundings.

God picked us to be on His team because of His unconditional love. He accepts us, and this acceptance should fuel us to further our relationship with Him and to be the light of Christ in the world.

As we walk onto the field, the mat, the court or the track, we know that God’s hand is upon us. This doesn’t make us better than anyone else on the field, but it does provide a purpose and a responsibility to honor and share the relationship and love God graciously bestows upon us.