God's Soccer Team - He Chooses the Worst First?

All of us have memories of what our favorite recess activity was. At Fairbanks Elementary School in Morenci, AZ, we had lots of options. I remember the group of girls who would carry around their stereo playing Garth Brooks and George Strait with their awesome slap bracelets. I also remember future cheerleaders trying out their stunts with their extra high bangs and pony tails swaying as they practiced their awesome stunts. Then there were traditional playing like swinging, sliding, and the tire swing. If you went to school with me, I know you have a big smile on your face right now! There were other activities like basketball courts, a huge soccer field, and a large grassy area for football, etc. This is where you would often see kids picking teams for competition. As they stood waiting to be chosen by the two kids picking soccer teams, everyone standing knew who would get chosen first, second, third, and on and on. They knew who can kick the ball and who can’t. They knew who would be the last standing with a bit of embarrassment as he/she knew they were the last one to be chosen. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone the order in which these kiddos would be picked by the team leader. I wonder what would happen if one day the team leader would’ve chosen that person first. He/She would have gotten lots of confusing looks, including from the person chosen, as to why that choice was made.

There are a lot of people in life that feel just the same as that kid did. With their head hanging low and their confidence barely hanging on by a thread, they wait their entire life for someone to notice them. They are used to being last, unnoticed, and without favor. They aren’t good at many things and nothing about them would cause someone to look their way. They seem to be in the “forgotten” category and have lived with this kind of label placed on them by others.

The heart of God not only wants to surprise us with His positive affirmation concerning our lives, but He especially has a place in His heart for the one who feels forgotten and unwanted. He longs to tear the labels off of our lives that have been placed on us by other’s opinions and words concerning who we are. Everyone carries false labels put on them by others and the Lord wants to break them off so we can live life from our true identity, which is one who is the Lord’s love and delight! He wants us to be confident and aware that we are the apple of His eye.

1 Corinthians 1:26 says “Remember that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.”

To know that God actually chooses the despised, things counted as nothing, and things considered foolish just doesn’t make sense to us. He is so different than us and sees beyond physical looks, wealth, and other things many use as a standard to judge. His so called soccer team is made up of people who can barely kick a ball, run kinda funny, and wear cheap off brand athletic shoes! That’s really good news for people like me who make all kinds of silly mistakes and is often the source of many peoples’ laughter and rolled-eyes! I don’t love Him because I’m strong enough to. I love Him because inside of His big heart is a place for someone like me!

This is why it’s an incredible thing for someone to carry God’s heart for another because it is a love that is greater than what we experience on the earth. God isn’t tainted by our culture and the way we make decisions about others. He is both pure and perfect LOVE and no one can change His mind about you! He will make you feel like an only child, that you have His full glance, and that you are His favorite!