Loved and Chosen

Do you ever feel the need to be chosen and loved? You're not alone. Even when we're unwilling to admit it, as humans, we have an innate desire to be loved and to be chosen. From our childhood days at recess to our adult workplaces, we want evidence that we're loved and chosen. It is key to establishing our self-worth.

Throughout much of my early life, I craved the confidence that came from knowing I was loved and accepted, specifically by my peers. My heart often felt the sting of rejection as someone else was chosen instead of me. It wasn't until my twenties that I started accepting and believing the truth that I am already loved and chosen. Not for what I do, what I can do, what I look like, what my job description is, what my social media following looks like, or what is in my bank account — but simply for who I am.

God loves and chooses us of His own volition. Before God chose to create the universe, He already chose us. Moreover, He chose to love us. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:4-5, "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure" (NLT). What an amazing thought! We were chosen by God before the foundation of the earth was even built. We were in the mind of God when He was going through the process of creation. That is the foundation of our self-worth.

The God of the universe has already chosen you and says to you, "You are Mine!" (1 Thessalonians 1:4 NLT). God knows our sins, our imperfections, our struggles, our doubts, and our fears. Yet He loves and chooses us. Embrace the truth and the joy of knowing that you, my fellow leader, are loved and chosen by God.

Affirmation: I am loved and chosen by God.

Reflection: How does it feel to know you are chosen and loved? How can knowing and believing you're loved and accepted by God help you lead better?