{"id":9418,"date":"2015-04-06T23:21:11","date_gmt":"2015-04-06T23:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/?p=9418"},"modified":"2017-02-27T15:50:52","modified_gmt":"2017-02-27T15:50:52","slug":"we-are-chosen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamsignificant.ca\/home\/featured\/we-are-chosen\/","title":{"rendered":"We ARE Chosen"},"content":{"rendered":"

How many of us remember the ad-hoc\u00a0choosing of teams in the school yard? “I’ll take Jimmy.” \u00a0“I’ll take Jane” and so forth until there is a lone person\u00a0left and\u00a0chosen by default. \u00a0There were times when I was growing up that I found myself the last to be chosen. \u00a0It is an awkward feeling to not be chosen and often hard not to feel the sting of rejection.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

God chooses people<\/strong>. We can see numerous examples throughout scripture of God choosing people. There was Moses, Abraham, and Sarah.\u00a0There was David, Jeremiah, Gideon, Samuel, Jonah, and Isaiah and let’s not forget Israel herself!\u00a0 The same is true in the New Testament, and they included Joseph and Mary, John the Baptist, the Twelve\u00a0and Paul, and\u00a0all of us –\u00a0a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/sup>But you\u00a0<\/span>are<\/i>\u00a0a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; – 1 Peter 2:9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

God is still choosing people today. In Christ, we are all chosen<\/strong>. \u00a0Chosen as sons and daughters, for a relationship. \u00a0Chosen to be known by and to know God. We are also chosen for special roles and tasks that we were uniquely created to do, in the very places that we find ourselves in daily life. In a very real sense, we get to represent God in the very places that He has placed us to work, to study, in a community and our family. \u00a0In this way, we become the present gift of God in all of these places, and we simply share the gift that is uniquely us! \u00a0In the words of Richard Rohr:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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God is not primarily choosing them for a role or a task, although it might appear that way. God is really choosing them\u00a0<\/span>to be God\u2019s self in this world, each in a unique situation.<\/em>\u00a0If they allow themselves to experience being chosen, being a beloved, being somehow God\u2019s presence in the world, they invariably communicate that same chosenness to others.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

One of the biggest challenges of the discovery of our chosen-ness is that of competition. \u00a0When we start to compare our role or task to someone else’s, we are at risk of hitting the proverbial pride ditch! \u00a0The different sides of the same coin; if we deem our gift and calling as being better than someone else’s, we hit the ditch. \u00a0It is just as prideful to judge our calling and gifting as less than someone else’s and therefore not as important. \u00a0 Remember, the Kingdom of God is like a body with many parts, and each part needs to do what it is called and gifted for, as best as it can, for the body to function in a healthy way. \u00a0After all, the feet can’t say to the eyes “I don’t need you!”<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

[tweetthis]Hear Him say “I choose you”- the realization of your chosen-ness draws you deeper into faith-filled living[\/tweetthis]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0I think it is important that we hear for ourselves that we are chosen, to sense the Lord call our name. \u00a0Like John, resting His head upon the chest of Jesus and hearing the heartbeat of love, take a few moments now and rest in God. \u00a0Hear Him say “I choose you<\/strong>” and allow the transformative realization of your chosen-ness to draw you deeper into faith-filled living.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Before I even formed you in\u00a0your mother\u2019s<\/i>\u00a0womb,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I knew all about you.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Before you drew your first breath, I had already chosen you. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

– Jeremiah 1:5, The Voice<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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