Chosen

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  - Colossians 3:12

So I look at this verse, and a lot jumps out at me. 

The first is this.  I am, apparently, one of God’s chosen ones.

Now we can argue till we are all blue in the face about how one becomes one of God’s chosen ones – and admittedly I would come at this from a decidedly Reformed point of view, but that is not the point of my writing…nor do I think that’s the point the apostle Paul’s writing here.

The point being that if you are a truster and believer in Jesus Christ, then somehow, someway, you have become one of God’s chosen ones.  Relish in that fact. Rejoice in His grace. Sing His praise. Shout your alleluias.

But.

Read the remainder of this verse.

As one of God’s chosen, holy and beloved, put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…. There is more to Paul’s thought, but that is for another time.

With God’s choosing, comes responsibility. Jesus put it this way, “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:28)

Chosen one, God is has given you much, in return, Paul says, “put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience….”

It is, in many ways a short list.  But it is all encompassing. It is about our personal relationships, but also about the stranger that we meet on the street. Towards all we are to show the traits of “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience….”

Tall order.  And there is no way we could do it on our own power.  But, “as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved” anything is a possibility.

And imagine those possibilities in your life.  For today and for tomorrow.

Dear “God's chosen ones, holy and beloved….” 

Go and be a blessing.