To Live is Christ — content to be the least

The second worse thing about playground games is being picked last. The worst thing is knowing why.

As we watch the Winter Olympics, obviously the winners are the best in their chosen sport. They have trained hard to get where they are and deserve a spot on the podium. No one would pick the slowest, sloppiest, scoreless for a gold medal. But God does.

For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 7:6–8)

I read through the Bible every year and these verses struck me as an excellent link to the New Testament truth about the way God chooses His people. There He says . . . 

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Corinthians 1:26–29)

This is as opposite to playground games and the Olympics as it can be. God is not looking for those who shine, who are “important” or the best of the best. He is looking for sinners. These are people who know that they should be picked last, or not even picked at all. And they know why.

God’s grace is amazing. He calls people who are certain that they have no right to be called. Then He tells them . . . 

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12–13)

In my mind, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit stand on that podium, but there is no silver or bronze — all of who God is gets the gold, and the applause is deafening.

Then it strikes me that not only is God the winner of winners, He invited me to be part of His team, His family. I am the least of the least, but He picked me anyway and gave me His life and the right to live with Him in eternity, to stand with Him as His chosen child. How utterly amazing!

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