Have you ever been in one of those playground team picking scenarios?
We think, in picking teams, it’s best to be picked in the middle. Expectations are high for the first chosen, but no one wants to be picked last either. Middle is good enough. Just good enough.
But, just good enough doesn’t cut it in the kingdom, and the people who may appear the least qualified… like you may feel… may be God’s best for the job!
Consider Saul of Tarsus:
Saul was a Jew, but he grew up outside of Israel, so he was also a Roman citizen. He went to the best schools religiously and also had a trade. Saul was a driven person and had the mental chops to argue most into submission, so he probably wasn’t too fun to be around. In addition, he had a fanatical devotion to God and was willing to apply that devotion to the extent of sending people to their deaths. The people we are referring to here were followers of “The Way,” a radical group of Jews who adhered to the teachings of a rogue rabbi called Jesus, whom they claimed was the promised Messiah. He had been killed, but they claimed Jesus had been raised from the dead… and people thought Saul was a fanatic!
Saul would not be on anyone’s list of potential kingdom workers. He was, in fact, an enemy of the cross… a persecutor of The Way. Staying off Saul’s radar was a life goal!
God saw Saul differently.
God knew that Saul was just who he needed to take the kingdom to the next level. Here is what God says about Saul, to Ananias, when asking him to restore Saul’s sight:
This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
Acts 9:15b
Saul was “The Chosen” of God to introduce the gospel to the world at that time. What about us? What about you? Do you feel unqualified? Are we asking God, “Just please don’t send me to Africa,” or are we willing to be God’s chosen ones to proclaim his name to our friends, our acquaintances, our enemies, and the rest of the people in the world?
We each say, “I am not…”
God says, “I AM.”