If Jesus Could Choose Me, Would He?

I remember in my formative years the trauma of picking teams. Somebody would be in charge of picking captains and the captains would gaze through the crowd of possible choices and carefully craft their team with one and only one ambition in mind. Win baby!

If you were one of the first picked, all was cool. If you were in the middle, you could at least find strength in the fact there were others worse than you. And as the crowd dwindled, the remaining choices were assessed on who would do the least harm.

First it was school, then on to Prime Time!

Church camp.

Tribe drafting at Sharon Bluff Bible Camp was the all important event on the first morning of the week and it was absolutely critical to one's self esteem... for years to come, I might add. Each of us, to this very day, remember with exacting clarity where we fell on judgement day.

I remember as a junior camper looking in awe as the 'big boys' were picked first. Wow! To be one of those lucky guys. I also remember the pain of being picked toward the bottom and the ache in my soul for the last one picked.

It was my senior year of camp. John McCrory had first selection. The boys and girls were lined and John had first choice. Who was going to be 'el numero uno'? Who was going to be considered the best choice to win the all important Sharon Bluff Camp tribe title? John made his choice. Randy Payne!

The crowd roared in excitement. And John etched his name in stone as my all time favorite tribe leader. (Actually John was that before the pick, he just iced it then.)

That was only time I can ever recall being chosen first.

For anything.

Now, I'm not a horrible athlete, but I'm certainly not elite. I was never great at Bible drills like Lyman, Tim or Becky, but I could hold my own. I guess John saw something in me that made him choose me first. It was a glorious moment, to be sure.

As I entered the work force, however, something was different. I discovered I could work circles around anyone around me and thus I found my way to earn big points.

Staying late.

Performing well.

Accepting responsibilities.

And that's the way it's been for me.

I work. And I work hard.

I have earned many accolades in my work.

But the problem is, I brought that 'work' into my relationship with Jesus.

I figured Jesus wouldn't choose me or want me on his team strictly on my own merit. I knew the real me and all my disgraceful acts. I needed an edge. Something that would get his attention so he would notice that I was worth the risk. Alas, I fell back on my old favorite and began working really hard for Jesus.

It's what I know. So it will work with him too, right? If I play guitar really well, or give to someone in need, or give way more than 10%, or say all the right words in church or...

It was a charade. The harder I worked, the more I felt I had to do.

It was so crippling.

It's what our enemy wants. He wants us consumed with doing for Jesus instead of being with Jesus. You know... that whole Martha thing.

But, this is not new. People for a long time have tried to find God through works. They even asked Jesus about it.

Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this; to believe the one he has sent." John 6:28-29 NIV

Jesus made me uniquely and loves me uniquely. And his greatest desire for me is to be his friend. He delights in me for me. And no amount of good deeds has any effect on his love for me. What he requires is my faith. He does the rest.

"Draw close to God and God will draw close to you" James 4

RP