THE DAY I WAS PICKED FIRST
Choosing teams. It’s the bane of every child’s self-esteem. Youngsters line up to be chosen for baseball. They jockey for position to avoid being chosen last, a crushing blow to one’s young psyche. Conversely, It feels great to be chosen—especially chosen first. And that happened one Spring day, when I showed up to school with a new first baseman's mitt.
Incredibly, in our third-grade class was a boy who was eleven years old! Not too sharp; but he could hit the ball further than Mickey Mantle. Guess who always got picked first? Lee Roy. Drooling over my mitt, the team captain asked if he could borrow it. I said, “If you choose me for your team.” Then when it came time to pick teams, not only did he choose me—he chose me first! No one had ever been picked ahead of Lee Roy...until now! Silence filled the diamond as I strutted over and stood next to my captain. Sure, I had bartered my mitt to be chosen. But no one could take that from me.
It feels good to be chosen; to know you're wanted. And on God's team, we're all first-round picks. Know why I'm sure of that? Look through scripture and see who He chose for His team: failures, misfits, cowards, prostitutes, liars, adulterers, murderers... Should I keep going? Ephesians 1:4 reads, "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ…”
Check that out: Before He ever created anything, God...chose...you! There's a lot of controversy over how He did it, but scripture is clear: You are chosen by God! It's not because of your own righteousness. It's simply because God loves you and wants you on His team. No matter where you’ve been or what you've done. No matter how smart or talented you are. You're His first choice...even without a brand-new first baseman's mitt.
Ponder:
When you think of being chosen by God, what feelings rise up in you?
How does knowing this change your life?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Ephesians 1:3-14.
Lord, thank you for choosing me for your team. Words cannot express how grateful I am.
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