I remember being in elementary school and playing games on the playground at recess. The worst feeling was when two “captains” had been selected for dodgeball, kickball, or some other fun game and there you stood in a group of young, eager, insecure kids – all hoping to be chosen first and perhaps praying just not to be chosen last.

I was always a “decent” player – not awesome or horrible, so I usually got chosen somewhere in the middle, and I was fine with that. But I always felt sorry for the little, uncoordinated kid who got chosen last and felt the sting of it every time (“We really don’t want you, but SOMEONE has to take you…”).

Being a kid can be rough for sure. Being an adult can be just as hard.

People often assess our worth by what we have to contribute: talents, beauty, connections, skills, gifts, money, or time. It can be easy to fall into the trap of believing that God is the same way.

Embracing Our Identity as God’s Children

My last post touched on this – we want to believe what the Bible says is true: that He loves us unconditionally, that He has made us in His image and that we are His unique work of art (Ephesians 2:10).

We want to embrace our identity in Christ but may battle with fears, doubts and insecurities. We can be easily tripped up by besetting sins and the guilt that accompanies them (“Why can’t I just change already?! Why do I still struggle with this? God must not be pleased with me…”)

God has some great news for us! We don’t have to be perfect for God to choose us to be His children. In fact, it’s actually the opposite.

You have to know that you don’t deserve to be chosen by Him, that you don’t have anything great to offer the Creator of the Universe that He didn’t give you in the first place. All you have to offer is your broken self, trembling in weakness, and ready to be molded by His steady hand.

You don’t have to show your badge, your awards or honors or credentials or SAT scores. You don’t have to show a perfect record: “Look God! I didn’t lose my temper all day long!”

What It’s Like to Be On God’s Team

God chooses some crazy players for His team, that’s for sure. We’ve all got our scars and our limps – but He loves each of us passionately and urges us on to grow every day to be more like Him.

He doesn’t praise us for making A’s or running the bases fastest, or getting on the NY Times Bestseller list or winning the big deal. But He does get all giddy inside when our hearts are turned towards Him, motivated by His love and grace to serve and love others and to do the best with what we’ve been given.

He is pleased when, in the secret place (where only He sees), we say “no” to sin and “yes” to Him, when we lay down our idols and pick up our cross, when we receive His warm embrace and let it warm us from from the inside out instead of giving Him the cold shoulder.

I’ve got great news for you today, friend. You have been chosen as a child of the Great High God – the King of the Universe. The One before whom every creature will one day bow in reverence and worship – that same God has looked on you with love and said, “I want her on my team. I want him in my family.”

Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8) but we can choose to resist it. Resist no more.

Bask in the joy of being chosen by God.

You’re on His Team. And guess what? His team wins.