The Chosen

As Christians, we are all called to be disciples of Christ. Once we accept the call to discipleship, we are called to *make* disciples *for* Christ. We often back off, pleading an inability to do the job, pretty much like Moses did when God called him to free the Israelites from bondage (see Exodus 3 and 4). One of his excuses was that he wouldn't know what to say. We make a similar excuse to which God says: "I will help you speak and will teach you what to say" (Exodus 4:12) 

Jesus also said the same thing to his apostles before sending them out to preach the good news. "Do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you" (Matthew 10:19-20). 

The point should be obvious. If God chooses us to do something, he will ensure we can do it, even if we don't have a degree in theology or have graduated from seminary college. As it has been said many times: God does not choose the qualified; he qualifies the chosen.

"But," you may ask, "Who are the chosen?" Well, it could be us! Jesus once said, "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). While the context is salvation, we can apply this to discipleship in the broader context. All of us are *called* to be disciple-makers, but not everyone is *chosen*. So, what determines who is chosen? Our acceptance of the calling!

Imagine that I invite all of you reading this to register for one of my live sessions on Zoom (as I have!). You are all invited — or called. But only the ones who actually register will receive the link to attend the sessions. Everyone else is eliminated by default. That's pretty much how it works with God. He wants us all to step forward and accept his call to make disciples, but what can he do if we refuse to accept the call? He isn't going to force us (although he can be very persuasive if he wants to!). 

However, if we accept his call, he will make sure we can do what he calls us to do, no matter how difficult the task might be. Every single hero in the Bible fulfilled their role in God's plan of salvation because when God called them, they said, as Mary once said, "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1:38). I hope we can do the same. 

May the Spirit be with you. 

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