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Nathan Martin
When I was in school I was not very gifted athletically. I wasn't
the worst player out there but I wasn't near the best. "Average" is
the word that best described my playing abilities. But I tried!
Every day during PE class there would be that excruciatingly
difficult exercise called "picking teams". The coach would choose
two team captains who would then assign eternal worth to their
classmates by the order in which they choose them. I would stand
there as the best guys were called first, and that was ok, because I
knew I wasn't as good as them. Then they would get to the middle of
the pack.
That's when it got intense. What pecking order would there be
among the mediocre, the average, the regular guys? Sometimes I would
agonizingly watch as guys I thought I was better than would be
picked before me. Other times I would gloat and use my "cool walk"
to join the team that had picked me before others. And a few times I
was picked last.
Last. It's like not being picked at all. They picked me because
they HAD to pick me. There was nobody left. If there had been
somebody else they probably would have picked them. "Oh well, I
guess we'll take Nathan...since there's nobody else to pick!"
Then there were those times that the coach told a player to just
pick 4 and the rest of us would watch. Oh how I longed to be picked,
to be part of the game, to participate, to do more than just sit
there and watch. Spectate. I guess that's a verb, but you don't do
much when you spectate.
Sometimes, though, I really wanted to be on a certain guy's team.
Maybe he was my best friend or maybe he was an exceptional athlete.
Maybe his team won every game so I really wanted to be on his team.
It didn't matter how far down the list, just as long as he picked
me! When it was the other guy's turn to pick I would look at the
ground and scuff my shoes. But when it was his turn I would lift my
head, square my shoulders and look him square in the eye as if to
say, "Pick me! I won't let you down!"
Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus pulled His disciples
aside and said, "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and
appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit
would remain," (John
15:16a) The beautiful thing is that the apostles weren't the
only ones chosen. On more than half a dozen occasions the New
Testament writers refer to believers as "chosen". Here are a couple
of examples:
"And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved,
put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience;" (Col
3:12)
"But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren
beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning
for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the
truth." (2
Thess 2:13)
The fact is, God chose YOU! So how does it feel to be picked?
Jesus picked us for a very important job! He looked at folks all
over and picked us!!! He drew us to Himself, loved us and made us
fall in love with Him! It was His doing, so I can't boast in it. But
I can respond in faith, gratitude and love!
And you know what, there have been a lot of people picked before
me, but I'm so glad He picked me. Because I'm on the winning team!
My team captain has never been beat! And I'm going to do the best
job I can for him. I'm not going to let Him down. Because I'm so
glad He picked me!
This article was adapted from Nathan's
devotional commentary on John 15:16 as shared with the
CCI-Devo group
at YahooGroups.com.
Nathan Martin is the Associate Pastor of Christian Challenge and
the director of the School for Christian Workers. He served four
years as a missionary to southern Mexico before returning to
minister with his father at CCI. He oversees the worship and
technology ministries and teaches the High School group along with
his wife Lori. They have three daughters, Joi, Faith and Hope.
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He
Picked Me!!!