Why Did God Choose Me (and You)?

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are” 1 Corinthians 1: 27, 28.

A big reason people are foolish and weak and despised is because they come from dysfunctional homes where their needs were only partially met, or not met at all.

Many of us who come from such backgrounds see it as a bane and a curse- a contradiction of who God says He is.

But according to this verse, those who have endured such things are the ones God chooses. James 2: 5 is similar: “Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”

To read the passage for context, click here.

Disadvantaged. . . and Chosen

To our natural way of thinking, to be foolish, weak, despised and poor is a disadvantage. And this results most often from a suboptimal upbringing.

But this is not the truth, according to this verse.

If because of our pain and struggles, we have turned to the Lord and become Christians, those things are a blessing and a gift. And something to be thankful for.

There is no greater blessing on this earth than to have our sin forgiven. And to walk with God and become mature, fully functioning humans.

And this blessing is given to the foolish, weak and despised. It’s conferred upon those who’ve come from abuse, neglect, trauma and dysfunction.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” Romans 8: 28.

Why Did God Choose Me? The Last Will Be First

“The last will be first, and the first last “Mathew 20: 16.

Whatever kind of pain and misfortune we’ve had to endure in order to come to the Lord is more than worth it. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” 2 Corinthians 4: 17.

Another way to say this is the analogy of warfare and plunder. I’ve never been in the military, but I think it’s safe to say going into battle is no fun. It’s risky business. It’s hard work. And it’s unpleasant and dangerous. And yet, if you don’t go into battle, you don’t get the plunder.

“In Bible times, plundering was the legitimate and expected confiscation of personal property. . . following a military victory. When the fighting ended, the victors gathered and inventoried the goods (2 Chron 20:25). Items on the list included. . . animals, household goods, food, clothing, and various forms of jewelry made from precious metals” jesusway4you.com.

The plunder makes you wealthy. It makes all the sacrifices of going into battle worth the effort. No battle, no plunder. And in the same way, no pain, struggle, dysfunction, no knowledge of God.

To the Victor Goes the Spoils

Of course, not everyone who goes into battle gets the plunder. To the victor goes the spoils. So that means warfare doesn’t guarantee blessings. In the same way, pain, struggle, dysfunction doesn’t automatically guarantee we become Christians- and fully functional.

We have to make right choices.

We can either believe the message of our painful struggle, that life is hard and unfair and it’s all God’s fault. Or we can believe the message of God’s word, that He loves us and causes all things to work together for good.

The message we choose to believe will determine whether we come to know God and get the plunder or not.

To read another post related to Why Did God Choose Me? see Going Through the Fire, Purified or Consumed?