When I was a kid in school when it came time to choose up sides for team sports, the biggest, fastest and best players were always picked first. That left the scrawny and weaker kids, being one of the smallest in my class I was one of them, to be chosen last. That’s just the way it was and still is today. In our society, the strongest, best looking, most talented and wealthiest are the people chosen to succeed and be admired by all. Celebrity worship is prevalent in our country, thus leaving the less-famous to be considered less important and the last to be chosen by our culture.
However, when it comes to God’s Kingdom, the opposite is true. God always seemed to choose the underdog to serve Him and complete His missions. He chose Gideon, the “least in his father’s house” to save Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6). God chose David, a shepherd boy and the youngest in his family to be king over His people because “the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”(1 Samuel 16:7). When Jesus came to earth, He didn’t appear as a magnificent specimen of a man. The old prophet said of Him “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. “ (Isaiah 53:2). Jesus probably wouldn’t have been first pick for the team. When it came to choosing the twelve Apostles, He didn’t pick the most likely candidates. Some fishermen and a hated tax collector would be among those chosen to take the gospel to the world.
So where are we in the whole scheme of things? The Scriptures are clear that God has given the gospel call to every person (Romans 1:16; Titus 2:11) whether beautiful or homely, rich or poor, gifted or challenged. Jesus said it is the attitude, not the physical trait that is important and God seeks the meek and humble, not the proud and arrogant. The Lord said many times, “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16). Therefore, even though we may not be the best, the most talented, or the best looking, there is always a place for us in God’s family, (1 Corinthians 12).