“Yes – I, God, chose Zion, the place I wanted for my shrine; this will always be my home; this is what I want, and I’m here for good.” Psalm 132.13,14
Being part of something, a team or a company or a group or a family usually involves a choice. The one exception is our relationship with our biological parents, we are part of them is a statement of face, not choice. Everything else though is a decision we made at one time or another.
Thinking about God and His relationship to us brings a series of interesting questions. If our relationship is a mutual decision, will God change His mind? What are the similarities and differences between the Christian view of God and all other religion views? Do we sense just one distinction between Christians and other belief systems or many? Does God’s relationship with us change with or because of our behavior? Is it wrong to be angry about life? Is it wrong to be frustrated with the struggles of life? Are all these questions related?
I believe every question above relates and links to a fundamental fact of Christianity that is unique among world religions. God chose us. God knows us inside and out, every failure past, present, and future. God sees us clearly and without any veil or bias. God chose us as special beings. God choice is demonstrated by His unwavering commitment, unconditional acceptance, and factual statement of love through His son Jesus and what happened at the Cross. We can argue, disagree, struggle with belief, and deny. We can do all these things but God, and what He is are facts.
The questions come because what God is and has already done is unbelievable; it is something that we can only begin to understand through faith. As we struggle with God, questions arise. I believe the questions relate to our view of God, not the facts. We are a chosen people, every one of us! God offers us a gift. Accepting God is a daily struggle. Accepting is my life’s purpose.
