11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11-13)
I stand in front of the group of children. They sit cross-legged on the floor, eyes bright.
“I need a helper,” I say.
The room erupts—hands waving, bodies wiggling. “Ooh, pick me Miss!” “Pick me!” “I want to help!” “Pick me!” “No, pick me!”
At five they already know what some of us have forgotten: it feels good to be chosen.
What are your chosen moments? Was it when that guy you eventually married singled you out from among your crowd of friends? When a mentor saw something in you and chose you to invest in? When you struck up an unlikely friendship? Or when the judges gave you first prize in the contest you never thought you’d win?
It feels good to be chosen. Being chosen tells us that we are significant. It reminds us of our worth and helps redefine our purpose. It tells us that we have something to contribute, that we matter.
You are chosen. You are chosen by no one less than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In fact, you were not just chosen. You were predestined by the one who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (Ephesians 1:11).
You have a royal destiny. For you were not just chosen—you were chosen with a purpose. God chose you “to be for the praise of his glory.”
How can this be? Why would the God whose glory outshines the sun choose you in all your frailty and brokenness to praise his glory? It is the miracle of the gospel that God’s greatness shines best in our brokenness made whole. When God takes us, rescues us, redeems us, and makes us whole, his glory shines. Our healing proclaims his wholeness. Our transformation declares his power, and our salvation reveals his mercy. Our weakness demonstrates his strength.
And so we praise him. When the addict breaks the bonds of addiction and walks in wholeness, we praise him. When the abused woman abandons her shame and learns to walk with her face held high, we praise him. When we cast aside the weight of legalism and learn the steps of freedom’s dance, we praise him. When the fatherless finds a home, when the grieving are comforted, when the hungry are fed, and when the prisoner are set free, we praise him.
We praise him because it is what we were meant to be from the beginning: a people who exist for the praise of his glory. It is not just what we do; it is who we are. He chose us for his glory.
Will you join in the song of the redeemed?