Fear No Fear

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that the Father may give you whatever you ask Him in My name” (John 15:16, MEV). Jesus loved us enough to choose us. Not based on who we are or what we have done. Jesus chose us before we even existed (Ephesians 1:4-6). Jesus made His choice before creation was created. That’s how early God was thinking about us. Designing us. Loving who we were, how we looked, what we said, and the ideas we came up with – goofy and practical. God doesn’t want to turn us into sombre monk-like people moaning dirges and being silent the rest of the time. If we hadn’t rebelled, God wouldn’t have had to have serious thoughts either. We could have been fun, productive, sometimes goofy, creative, joyful creatures. That’s what we were designed to be. God is JOYFUL. He likes to sing about us and over us. He is loving and kind. We were chosen by Him to have a relationship with Him and He wants us to respond to that call. He doesn’t want us to harden our hearts. He doesn’t want us to ignore Him. He doesn’t want us to ignore correction. He doesn’t want us to be so stuck on our performance that we start to think it’s the reason that we are accepted by Him. God wants us productive. God wants us fruitful. God wants us joyful. God wants us thankful. God wants us to rely on Him so that we won’t get caught up in other things that are bad for us. Why go to a loan shark when the bank has pre-approved you? God wants us to be free. That’s why He called us. And if we respond, and let Jesus free us, then we are free indeed and NO ONE and NOTHING can EVER chain us again. He chose us. We are His.