Chosen

I've been attending a weekly women's bible study this fall and I am being stretched and challenged and convicted and encouraged in all the right places! It's called "Living Beyond Yourself" by Beth Moore and I HIGHLY recommend it! There's so much I'm learning that I would love to put to words. But that will take more time then I have at this moment, so instead, I am going to share something from one of the lessons that touched my heart and resonated deep down in my soul. The whole study was on rejection and in the middle of her talk, Beth shares these words.

"There are many who are adopted who bear the burden and pain of rejection through out their lifetimes. It is the way of human nature, that instead of seeing that we have been chosen, we see that we have been rejected. In Eph 1, we read that we've been adopted as gentile believers in Christ and what God is trying to get across to us is this: is there anything better than that? Than being chosen? 

There cannot be an unwanted, adopted child. All the trouble went through to adopt - the waiting, the faith testing, the paperwork, the yearning....there's no such thing as an unwanted, adopted child! Yet many people who are adopted suffer under the burden of that rejection of their biological parents - sometimes all their lives. 

Our human nature will reach out and translate the rejection more than we will reach out and translate the acceptance. It's not 'I've been chosen!' but 'I've been rejected.' That is the fear that we are not or will not be loved. Are we afraid of anything more than that?"

I was watching this video segment at home and when I heard these words, I rewound it again and again. As I listened to this truth my thoughts turned to my son. An overwhelming desire came over me to do everything within my power, more than I am already doing, to help him embrace the fact that he is CHOSEN! WOW! Is there anything better than that? I want him to reach out and translate our acceptance and God's acceptance, instead of rejection! I want him to live in the freedom and love and warmth and security and significance that comes from being chosen! I don't want him to bear a burden of rejection all his life. I want him to fully grasp the truth that there is no such thing as an unwanted, adopted child! His adoption has happened because we wanted him and because God hand selected him for us! God chose Josiah to become our son and us to become his parents, even before the beginning of the world! How amazing is that? This is what I want my precious son to grasp, to know to the core of his being, to the bottom of his soul, with all his heart - that he is wanted, that he is chosen, that he is accepted and that he is loved, always and forever! 

How I pray that Josiah will reach out and translate the acceptance and the fact that he has been chosen! That he will grow up to find his significance, security and identity in Christ alone! 

"God, please answer this prayer for my son Josiah, Holy Spirit do your work within his heart to make this truth alive and well within the depths of his being. May he always know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, who he is, how much he means to us and most importantly, who he is in You! Amen."

Now stop for a moment and think about the fact that God sent Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners! Does that sound like rejection? NO! God had this amazing plan of salvation all worked out since the dawning of time! He looked across the centuries and saw you and me and He wanted us! He didn't reject us, He chose us! He adopted us as His sons and daughters! We are wanted, we are chosen, we are accepted and we are loved by the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords! 

What another amazing thought this brings to my mind! Josiah is wanted and chosen and accepted and loved twice over - first through our adoption and second, through his adoption into God's family! Oh how I long for him to really and truly grasp the specialness and preciousness of this all!

There is no such thing as an unwanted, adopted child! My sister and brother in Christ, that includes you too!

You are wanted, you are chosen, you are accepted and you are loved!