When God chooses someone else – 3 June 2020

Most of us want to be the kind of person who, when they see God’s hand on someone else’s life and ministry, they wholeheartedly rejoice in that person’s successes.

But for many of us, this isn’t the reality. When someone else gets that leadership opportunity we wanted so badly, or the recognition our hearts were longing for, rather than rejoicing that God chose to use someone else, we begin to question our own value and worth. We ask ourselves, “Why them? Why not me?”

Sometimes this leads us to make a mental laundry list of the reasons we deserved it more or were more qualified. Sometimes it takes us down the dreadful path of criticism and character assassination.

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30), Jesus never says God loved the five-talent man more than the two-talent man. Can you imagine if we got what we actually deserve? We don’t deserve opportunities, influence, or accolades. Far from it! We deserve death and hell.

Yet God, in his grace, chooses to use us, not as a statement of how much he loves us, or how valuable we are, but as a display of his power in and through broken sinners like us. God uses you, not because you’re so great, but because he is. He doesn’t need you, but he wants you.

Let’s stop comparing ourselves with others and rest in the sovereignty, kindness, and wisdom of God, who loved us and gave himself up for us. When he shows his glory in other people’s lives, gifts and accomplishments, far be it from us to try and rob him of the glory he alone is due by questioning why we didn’t get it. It was never ours to begin with.

Prayer: Lord, help me celebrate your hand in the lives of others, and grant me the grace and wisdom to rejoice with them and give all the glory to you. Amen