12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Colossians 3:12-14 (NLT)
1 One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked. “Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied. 3 The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.” Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.” 4 “Where is he?” the king asked. “In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.” 5 So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. 6 His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.” Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.” 7 “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!” 8 Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?” 9 Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master’s household. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will eat here at my table.” (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) 11 Ziba replied, “Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded.” And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. From then on, all the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table.
2 Samuel 9:1-13 (NLT)
THE CALLING OF THE CHOSEN
Ever since I was little, I have been fascinated by animals that are dangerous. I love learning about them, whether it’s watching Shark Week or old Steve Irwin videos where he’s free handling a black mamba, one of the world’s most dangerous snakes. I just can’t seem to get enough.
Speaking of dangerous snakes, we have several in our state in the form of pit vipers like Copperheads and rattlesnakes. The Timber Rattlesnake, or Canebrake, is, in my opinion, the most beautiful one. It has a vibrant yellowish gold stripe down the center of it’s back and unmistakable black bands that circle its body. It will shed that skin 4-12 times a year, leaving behind a stern warning to hikers and path-walkers alike.
We’ve been looking at Paul’s letter to the Colossians, and in Chapter 3 he is discussing putting on a new self in Christ. This is the Christian’s way of “shedding skin.” While the snake sheds its skin multiple times, the act of shedding our worldly skin lasts a lifetime as we are sanctified in Christ.
When we get to verse 12, Paul says we are to ”Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. (ESV)” So as God’s chosen people, we are to “put on” or act out these traits. That is his expectation of us.
In his Look at the Book study, pastor John Piper discusses this verse and mentions the importance of “knowing and feeling what it means to be chosen, Holy and Loved.” He says the very thought that we are chosen by God should “stagger” us. The same God that created the universe, who sent the flood, who parted the Red Sea, who sent his son to the cross – that God chose YOU.
The insinuation by Piper is that we are called to embody these traits of humility, patience, kindness, etc, but that we will not feel the weight of that command and achieve it until we resolve to understand that we were singled out by God as his chosen people, Holy and beloved.
We are to be Holy, and we are set aside to by God to be as such. In John 15:16 Jesus says explicitly “You did not choose me, but I chose you…”
God chose us. In spite of everything you’ve ever done or will do wrong, he chose you. He loved you anyway.
Now with this incredible act, we are called to put on a new self, one that is compassionate, kind, humble, meek and patient (Col. 3:12). We have a higher calling because we have been appointed by the creator of the universe and are destined for an eternity in his presence. Our journey to perfection will not be complete until we get into the presence of Jesus, but we are chosen to be different in our time on earth.
Sometimes we mess up and fall short. It’s like when my son is playing baseball and I tell him, “Sometimes you strike out, and sometimes the other guy catches the ball. You don’t always get a hit.” Sometimes we miss in life. But the great Hank Aaron said, “Whether I was a in a slump or feeling badly, the only thing to do was keep swinging.”
So feel the weight of your calling. Wake up every day and fall to your face and thank God that he chose you as his eternal child. Pray for the strength to live out his commands, but do not lose heart when you fall short. Even the greatest ballplayers ever have slumps. As the Hammer said, the key is to keep swinging.
Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.
Steve Roach serves as the Pastor of Spiritual Maturity at NorthStar Church. He and his wife, Amy, live in Acworth and have three girls, Olivia, Sydney, and Hayley and one son, Colton. He enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.