Many are Called. Few are Chosen.

Many are called; few are chosen.

If you are familiar with this maxim, you have probably heard it on more than one occasion. I have heard this statement in songs, read it on t-shirts and social media posts, and heard it in more than one motivational speech. There is no escaping this refrain for me; it rings in my subconscious mind throughout the week as I grapple with the meaning and purpose of my existence and why I seem to make life so much more difficult than it must be. Why couldn’t I just settle down with a family and reliable job like good Americans do? Why must I choose the most challenging life paths? Why must my life be a constant game of all or nothing?

Many are called, but they are not obligated to respond with “Immediately, yes!” Sometimes people choose to answer God with their fears. 

“I’m not ready. Just give me a little bit more time.”

“I’m not the one for this job; call on someone else.”

“People will judge me, and I won’t be able to handle it.”

“What if I fail? I am not equipped for what You’re calling me to.”

Thanks to the freedom of will gifted to us by the Creator and Sustainer of our Universe, most of us have full permission to be too afraid to answer God’s call on our lives. We are allowed to remain in fear. We are allowed to remain obstinate toward God’s Word regarding our individual futures. Because God loves us as far more than anyone can love anything, we are not held in relationship against our will. Love is an active choice. We must choose to love God in return by exercising the greatest display of trust, which is humble obedience to his voice. 

There are others that respond to the call with humble obedience and openly allow God to use their gift in order to do their part in making the world a more loving, more peaceful, more heavenly place. They are faithful stewards of their families and financial resources. They are actively involved in their community. They step into leadership roles in order to solve problems and build upon progress. They were called, and they answered with a solid and reliable “yes.” They are confident in God’s capacity to sustain them to and through whatever it may be. They walk in partnership with God, obeying His commands and doing His will. 

Then there are those of us who simply have no choice in the matter. I certainly have free will, which I exercise often, and historically to my own detriment. I have not lived a traditional life in any manner of the word. I have explored all my options and paths, even straying entirely from my identity in God for a period of time. I marched to the beat of my own drum. I followed the path that felt good to me, without too much regard for what God had to say on the matter. I have been God’s wild child, living my life to the fullest and discovering the boundaries of my own free will. This is how I know God chose me. 

Though I have lived my life on my own terms, there has always been a nudge… a tug… a pull deep down in my soul. Even when I was immersed in the world, representing everything it has to offer, God found ways to get to me. God never stopped coming after me. God never gave up on what has been placed down on the inside of me. 

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.

How He chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine.

I don’t know about you, Dear Reader, but God’s love for me is downright reckless. There is no dark corner for me to hide where He won’t send a ray of light. I may be able to run, but I absolutely cannot hide from the love of God. God’s love for me is full of certainty that I am great. God’s love for me comes complete with the tools necessary to build me into the most ideal version of myself in His eyes. God’s love for me scours the depths of my heart, mind, and soul in order to identify, work through, and release any and all obstacles and impediments.

I know God chose me because the heart that was placed in me comes abundant with love, forgiveness, peace, and joy. My heart itself carries me through my most difficult trials. At this point in my life, my heart defaults to the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is a blessing I am continuing to grow into appreciating. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are nine descriptors for one experience, which is being filled with the Holy Spirit. If I am gentle with children but lack patience with my colleagues, I am not yet complete; there are parts of my heart, mind, and/or spirit that stand in the need of healing.  Being chosen by God means that I have absolutely no choice but to work through my stuff in order to sustain a purified heart, and the work is never-ending.

What has God chosen me to do? 

I am not yet super clear on that, Dear Reader. I know that I am gifted; I have a rare intellectual capacity, I have heightened empathy, and I am able to speak directly to a person’s blockages, supporting them to the other side of their breakthrough. I am a phenomenal teacher, breaking down and communicating complex concepts in tangible and accessible ways. I am a pretty good cook, and I love gifting people with tastes of love. I am a lover of all people, regardless of any identifying factor, and I am able to get them to love me back, regardless of their personal prejudices. I enjoy music and have learned that I am able to move people with my voice; I’m still working on growing comfortable with that one, to be honest. I am able to make people laugh with me, releasing a joy from the inside of them that they may not often experience. 

I am growing aware of my gifts, though I remain unaware of what I am to do with them. 

I have visions of blessing the world with inspirational and uplifting clothing and accessories. I have visions of blessing the world with places to eat good food, enjoy good music, and experience the love of good-hearted people. I have visions of creating a school system which produces the world’s most pure-hearted, God-confident future leaders. I have visions of using my voice to usher in healing for hundreds… thousands… millions of people at a time. I have a clear and distinct vision of making the world a far better, kinder, more loving and peaceful place than I found it. 

When life feels scary and frustrating, I remind myself that God chose me. When things aren’t going the way I planned or even believe they should go, I remind myself that God chose me. When the enemy attempts to rob me of my peace of mind, I remind myself that God chose me. No matter what it looks like at this very moment, God chose me to do something great. God chose me to exercise His will. God chose me to be a light in the midst of darkness. God chose me.

I love you.

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