As an extrovert, I would never have considered myself a wallflower in junior high. But when attended my first junior high dance in town as “the country girl”, I found myself there — standing up against a wall.
I liked to dance, but I liked boys even more! And now, there I was. The wallflower. Trying to figure out how to get that cute boy to notice me and ask me to dance.
I had a million thoughts running through my head. “Maybe if I look at him he will pick me.….But what if he DOESN’T pick me? Am I not pretty enough? Not popular enough…..?” On and on the questions went until my back was firmly glued to that gymnasium wall.
Did you experience anything like this when you were younger it was your time to “get picked”?
Do you have good memories, maybe because you were the fastest runner and always got picked first to be on the team? Or maybe you were like me at that junior high dance…just hoping to BE chosen.
No matter what your experience was, I think we all have this longing deep within us to be chosen. We may not want to be the star of the show, but we do want to be noticed. To be considered special. To be loved.
Well, the truth is that you ARE chosen. And it has nothing to do with you being pretty or brilliant or funny or talented. God CHOSE you. He says, “My daughter, I see you. I notice you. I consider you so very special, and I love you. I. Choose. You.”
I want you to receive this today, dear friend, because it is the truth! Listen to this:
“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.” 1 Peter 2:9.
He chose to bring us into his family and make us royalty — we are a royal priesthood!
Back in the Old Testament times, priests had many duties. They represented the people who could go before God and offer various sacrifices prescribed by the law. The priests were the only ones allowed to enter into the Most Holy Place behind the veil and stand before God; this was because that’s where the Lord’s presence was believed to be, BUT…Jesus’ death and resurrection destroyed that barrier between God and man, and now WE can personally enter into a divine relationship with Him and can be “priests” too!
God has chosen to be in an intimate relationship with you. No barriers. No walls. No facades.
We never have to ask ourselves that question I once asked at the dance — What if he doesn’t pick me? — because God already HAS picked you. He’s not looking for you to put on your “best self.” He just wants to be with YOU, just as you are!
And if that isn’t enough to do a little dance about (I prefer salsa-dancing, myself), he has also CALLED us! We are called out of the darkness and into the light to declare God’s praises! So not only are we special and loved, but we have PURPOSE too!
I love the line in the song “Greatest Threat” by Substance Variant: “I don’t want to waste my life. Don’t want to succeed at things that don’t really matter.” Have you felt this way too? Seriously! Especially being a mom, I think we put a lot of hard work and effort into life, and I don’t know about you, but I want my life to MATTER! I want it to make a difference now AND for eternity!
So then, what have you been called to?
I think that’s sometimes the million-dollar question, isn’t it? What is your calling? Pastor Peter has some great teachings on this, and from them I’ve learned that when I can match up my passionate areas with what I’m good at, this is a good sign that it could be something that God is calling me to do!
But even beyond discovering our calling, we know that without a shadow of a doubt, we are all called to declare His praises (1 Peter 2:9). We can do it when we are waking up in the morning, when we are nursing a crying baby in the middle of the night, when we are washing dishes, when we are driving to and from work, when we are watching our grandkids, and when we are just “doing life.” We can declare that God is good!
So as you walk out your day today, I want to encourage you to step away from the wall. You don’t have to wait anymore to be chosen but can DANCE into your life’s calling instead, declaring the praises of the One who says that you are enough. Because you truly are.
Sarah Legband is a stay-at-home-mom who manages a multi-generational household (1 husband, 2 young kids, and 3 grandparents). She also leads Substance Moms and enjoys speaking and blogging through her site, sarahelizabeth.org. Some of her favorite things are salsa-dancing, physical touch (love language), and Thai food.