Reflections on being chosen by God for something bigger – based on 1 Peter 2:4–10.

‘you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession’

I have struggled with my sense of self-worth in recent days. After an incredibly intense period of both work and church, throughout lockdown and beyond, things have slowed right down. Due to the pandemic, some of my regular clients have recently closed down projects that I’ve worked on for years. Others have new teams at their helm; I just don’t know whether I will get any work from them now.

So I’m not too sure what the future holds regarding work. I know my worth is not tied up in what I do, but that, coupled with a deep sense of loss, has rocked some of what I thought was sure and secure. However, I take great comfort from what it says at the start of this passage about Jesus. He was ‘rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him’. Yes, there will be moments when we are rejected, moments when we are passed over, but that does pale into insignificance against the fact that we are precious to God.

WE ARE PRIESTS

What can give us an extra sense of value and significance is knowing that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves – a holy nation, a royal priesthood. These phrases are first found in the Old Testament, where Israel was called God’s holy nation. God taught them to ‘set apart’ priests to undertake the rituals and sacrifices necessary for God to dwell with them. But when Jesus came, He was the ultimate high priest. While other priests had to offer sacrifices for their sins, Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for all our sins – forever! In this amazing act of redemption He has made us to be priests – also ‘set apart’ to reflect the holiness of God to the world around us.

LIVING STONES

The other image in this passage is of us being built into a spiritual house. As ‘living stones’, we remain close to Jesus, the foundation on which we are built. It also means we are united with other believers. We are never alone.

Prayer: Rather than focusing on the times when I may be rejected, I choose to thank You Lord for the privilege of being part of Your holy nation, Your chosen people. Amen.