So in India, Jesus showed me something that has changed me completely. I don’t think the same. I don’t talk the same. I don’t treat others the same. Of course, I’m still me. But I’m just more of who I was created to be instead of who my flesh wants me to be.
I’ve always heard words like chosen and daughter thrown around when people talk about who we are as Christians. It’s always been something I knew about myself, that I was a chosen daughter of the almighty God. Well, it was something I “knew” about myself.
But as I recently discovered, there’s a difference -a huge difference – in “knowing” something and believing something to the core of you. And the not so little fact that I am Jesus’ most prized possession is something all Christians need to believe to our core.
Through a series of little things in my life that always made me insecure, I always knew I didn’t feel like a chosen person. I was wary of captains picking teams in gym class. It made my stomach hurt to see my friends having conversations without me. I didn’t like it when other people got compliments. I always did things just to get others to choose me, and I wasn’t even free to just be who I was created to be, subconsciously always just striving to feel chosen.
On the World Race I am with my friends (team mates) literally all day every day, so these insecurities were brought out a lot and I knew I had to get to the root of the problem.
I already knew about the Lord that everything He does in our lives makes us feel complete and whole. If I believe with everything inside of me that He loves me, I’m enabled to live entirely free of the pressing desire for all humans to love me. If I believe I’m seen by Jesus, I’m free from the dire need for others to see me. So why did I wake up every day striving to be chosen by others? The answer is simple, I didn’t believe that I am the chosen, beloved child of God.
So this all came to a boiling point one night as I yelled at God, “am I chosen? You say I am, but really am I? You’ve never showed me I am! Am I or am I not?” Obviously, I was frantically trying to find the answer to the question that had kind of started haunting me.
The next day, the Holy Spirit brought me to some verses that God used to confirm that I am in fact His chosen daughter.
Romans 8:15-16 “The spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live your life in fear again: rather, the spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry ‘Abba father.’ the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
Galatians 4:7-9 “…understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”
Jesus showed me through these verses that I am God’s chosen child through faith. It doesn’t get much better than that.
I cannot express the joy that comes with life as a chosen daughter of Jesus. I cannot express the satisfaction in knowing that He constantly wants to be around me. I cannot express the peace knowing He has chosen me to forever be in His love.
The freedom that comes from this joy, satisfaction, and peace is unbelievable. I can live fully as myself. I can live freely knowing I don’t need to please anyone around me. I can be who I was created to be, a free beloved child of Jesus.
I’m excited to continue this journey in figuring out what it looks like to live day to day as Jesus’ beloved. I know it’ll be a lifelong journey, but I’m not worried because my Jesus is holding my hand and looking at me in completed adoration. I can do anything with Him as my best friend and with me as his chosen partner.
I hope this invites you to be secure in your identity as Jesus’s beloved if you aren’t already.
On a different note: I’m leaving for Africa tomorrow!
