Led by the Spirit: Journey Through the Book of Acts Part 1نموونە

Day 2: Chosen to be His

Some of us may recall painful experiences from our student days when we were the last ones to be picked either for a soccer game or a school project. When we realised that no one wanted us on their teams, we looked down in embarrassment, our cheeks flushed with shame. From young, we learn the hard way that being a “last pick” is a sign that we are unwanted because we lack the smarts, strength, and resources that the world values.

Yet the “last picks” are the very people that God selects to be on His team. Consider some of the apostles listed in Acts 1:13. Peter, John, James, and Andrew were fishermen by trade (Matthew 4:18-22). In those days, fishermen were known to be crude, rough, hardy, and hardworking. These “unschooled, ordinary men” (Acts 4:13) even had a tendency for violence (John 18:10; Luke 9:54) and a thirst for power (Mark 10:35–45). Then there was Matthew, who used to be a tax collector (Matthew 9:9), an occupation despised by the Jews. To top it off, the apostles once deserted Jesus when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56b; Mark 14:50).

Yet God chose this unlikely group of people to carry out the monumental task of bringing His Gospel to the world. God had one shot to establish His church, and He chose to do so with a ragtag bunch of men and women who had little education and standing, numbering only about a hundred and twenty. What could this puny and peripheral people, who believed in something as outrageous as a crucified God, accomplish in the face of the mighty Roman empire and powerful Jewish religious leaders?

Do you feel unworthy to serve God because you are not competent or influential enough? Know this: God, who could have chosen anyone He wants in the universe, handpicks the foolish, weak, and lowly to fulfil His purpose (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). Those who are the last and the least are God’s first, if not only, choice. His selection of His servants is not a fluke or a compromise, but part of His plan all along (Ephesians 2:10). So that when God’s servants achieve something, it will be clear that it is not because of how strong they are but how strong the Spirit who works in them is. In this way, God gets the glory.

Reflect

• How does knowing that Jesus chose an unlikely group of people to continue His ministry on earth affect your view of yourself and other believers as servants of God?
• Our inadequacies put us in a position where we can experience the Spirit’s empowerment. Do you tend to focus more on what you lack instead of God’s power? Pray and ask the Lord to give you a renewed perspective on your inadequacies.