A Very Merry COVID ChristmasSample

Praise God—You Are Chosen

Near the end of my senior year of college, the university I attended had an awards banquet for the graduating class. Throughout the night, the emcees announced who was the female athlete of the year, the academic valedictorian, the Latin scholar of 2002-2003 (I’m not making that one up), and more. By God’s grace, I was chosen that night for a special scholarship along with my buddy Nate. 

Nate is the guy I once challenged to eat 12 Swiss cake rolls in 60 seconds, a dare he accepted and then dominated (according to the bet, I was supposed to name my firstborn child after him!). Despite the fact that Nate and I could have played Lloyd and Harry in the movie Dumb and Dumber, we were both chosen for an award that essentially paid for all of our grad school tuition. 

But you shouldn’t be jealous. Because you have been chosen for something so much better.

At the very start of the longest sentence in the Bible, the apostle Paul wrote: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3,4).

Why was Paul, nearly five years into his unfair prison sentence, praising God? “For [God] chose us in [Christ].” God chose us. God picked us. Despite knowing everything about us—every sin, struggle, and shameful choice—God selected us to be saved.

Every Christian, therefore, can say, “God chose me. God! Me!” That is the most absurd three-word sentence in all the Scriptures, but it is absolutely true. The God of heaven and earth, the divine being who was entirely okay existing without you, nevertheless chose you. He wanted to be with you. He desired to save you. 

How can that be?! I’m not quite sure, but it’s news so good that even the coronavirus can’t make this a bad day.

As we get closer to Christmas, you might be consumed by all the earthly blessings that have been taken away from you—your comfort, your pastimes, your sense of normalcy, the warmth of handshakes after church. But maybe today is the right day to think about what hasn’t changed this holiday season—The fact that you are a chosen child of God.

Even COVID can’t touch that.

No matter how long this pandemic lasts, no matter how many things change, one thing remains—You are chosen. Say it out loud until the depth of that blessing sinks in—"I am chosen by God. I am chosen by God. I am chosen by God.”

Not chosen for a 15-minute meet and greet with God. Not chosen to snap a selfie with the Savior to post on Instagram. No, you have been chosen to spend forever at God’s side. What the shepherds experienced in part on that first Christmas, you will get to experience entirely, spending eternal moments enjoying the beauty of Jesus, the Savior who was born for you.

Picture yourself in a crowded room. Envision your glorious Father stepping up to the mic. Hold your breath as he starts the sentence, “I choose . . .” And stand up and worship as he locks eyes and ends the sentence with “. . . you!”