68. He Chose You

John 15:16

Have you ever felt left out? Like everybody gets the guy but you? Have you ever known the feeling of scrolling down through everybody’s facebook status and they’re all hanging out, but no one’s calling you? Have you finally gotten up the nerve to ask that girl out, only to have her tell you no? To put it more bluntly, do you know how it feels to be unwanted? We live in the kind of world that tells you that in order to be wanted, you have to be pretty enough, thin enough, strong enough, wealthy enough and smart enough. In other words, everything in life becomes a race that you have to win in order to be something to someone. I can still remember standing in a line at recess in the fourth grade while Carlos Rivera and Greg Kimmell picked kickball teams. I waited and waited for one of those guys to want me on their team when all of a sudden they called the name of a girl standing beside me! I’m not gonna lie, being picked after a girl at kickball in the fourth grade was a difficult moment for me. And then I met someone who wanted me, not because I kicked home-runs, but just because. I wouldn’t have the nerve to believe this about Jesus if He hadn’t said it, but He did. He chose me. He wanted me. He chose you too. The Bible says He picked you before He made the world. Eons before you were ever born, Jesus wanted you. The cool thing is, this means Jesus didn’t want you because you were awesome, and He doesn’t un-want you when you’re not awesome. He loves you because He just does.