12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:12-13)
Remember middle school? Sorry to bring up bad memories, but kickball. I’m not sure about your experience but our teachers loved to make “team captains”, which if you ask me is way too much power to give a hormone raging adolescent. Without fail, that person always took their time and soaked in the power bestowed to them. Anytime this power was wielded by my classmates, in a Hunger Games style attempt by me, I would puff my chest out, stretch and seem tougher than I really was. As long as I wasn’t picked in the bottom 3, I felt accomplished. It is a cruel game to play as a teen – being judged on physical prowess and expectation. Everyone knew who would end up being picked last. Yet, those at the bottom of the barrel are the exact ones Jesus chooses.
It is a good reminder here in verse 1 that we are called chosen, holy, and beloved.
“Chosen” means that for whatever divine reason, God picked you and said “that one is mine“. He chose you because He believes in you, but also believes in His work that He can do within you. He knows that in the bottom of the ninth, you could very well be the one up to bat. Yet, He chose you anyway. Jesus loves the dorks. Jesus uses the kid with the inhaler. This is often because He can do the greatest work in the weakest of us because no one can mistake that it was done on our own.
“Holy” has nothing to do with kickball, yet it’s still important (I guess). While you are chosen, you are also set apart as holy. Called to be different, His team are to be aliens in this culture. There has to be something different about the way we interact with the world around us. Somehow, God decided that we are His representatives.
“Beloved” means more than loved. It has a connotation of endearment. That when Jesus looks at you, He has an affection for who you are, scars and all. Many will tell you that God loves you without explaining properly this love. It is everlasting, unshakable, and a challenging scandal. When God loves, He goes all in. He doesn’t love out of obligation or contract but out of our connection to Him as children and the potential He sees within you.
Today, walk as chosen, holy, and beloved. We can trust our team captain.
Matt simon blog 