I vividly remember my juvenile love for shooting basketball on the courts at Attucks Middle School. I say shooting basketball, but I really meant shooting bricks and air balls. If you know me then you know my heart was really never on the court, but rather on the grass doing backflips. However, my passion for gymnastics did wain my desire to shoot ball with the homies on the court.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the necessary athletic skill-set to play to their level of expectations so I was ‘that kid’ who rarely got picked to play on anyone’s team.

This somewhat painful childhood memory reminds me to be thankful to God for choosing me despite my inexperiences to be His adoptive son through the blood of Jesus and for allowing me a permanent spot to be a part of His heavenly squad.

Ephesians 1:4-6 confirms, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One [Jesus] He loves.”

For some people God’s choosing of His people even before he made the world is a hard concept to embrace because according to critics, predestination quashes human freedom and free will. The truth of the matter is one doesn’t cancel out the other. How does the adage goes, “The Lord works in……..” Well mysteriously, the Bible shows that there is both election and free will. God’s sovereignty and our human responsibility may be difficult to explain logically, but in the Bible we see lots of examples of both at work. Just think of Paul’s call on the road to Damascus (Acts 9).

In his letters to churches, Paul insists on election, but nowhere does he fully explain the mystery of God’s choosing and how that works with our own will to receive Him as Lord and be saved.

Nonetheless, Paul describes election as a teaching of great comfort. In his amazing mercy and grace, God loved us and chose us even before He created the world! Ephesians 1:11-12 further explains, “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, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory.”

Here’s another kicker for you, God’s choosing is also a calling. Out of His unmatchable grace and limitless mercy He has chosen us for acts of love and service so that we can be a part of bringing his love and mercy to all those who wants to be a part of His earthly squad!

My brothers and sisters, by grace alone you should find comfort today in God’s predestination and election because it doesn’t matter if you shoot ball or shoot bricks! God chose you despite the measure of your skill sets before the foundations of this world to be a part of His everlasting squad! 1 Peter 2:9 hit the nail on the head, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Ok, put me in Coach….I’m ready to play!