“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” 1 Peter 2:9

Because of my health, I was forced to retire much earlier than planned.  For several years, I could barely function.  My goal each day was to be showered and dressed before my wife came home from work.  Anything more than that was a major victory.  Despite the truth of scripture, I still felt that I had very little to offer and therefore had minimal worth.  Even now with an improved level of functioning, I have many days when I wonder what value I retain.  It is in those times that I must consider the truth of scripture.  No matter how you feel about yourself, your circumstances or your value, consider the reality in God’s message to you through the words of Peter.

You are chosen.  You were not randomly selected but rather chosen with intent.  You were selected with love, devotion and purpose by almighty God.  You have been included in His chosen race, not for what you could provide to God or do for Him, but rather because He loves and desires you.  “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12)  You are valued as is, but called to develop a godly character to be fully equipped for service.  You are beloved by God.

You are a royal priest.  Because you have been elected by God, you are His child.  As a child of God you are declared righteous and part of the royal priesthood.  You are royal because of your relationship with God and Christ.  You have direct access to God the Father, and therefore, are His heir and His ambassador. God’s original intent for the children of Israel was that they would be a nation of priests.  Since they would not submit fully to God, that goal was not achieved.  However, the body of believers now fulfills that role.  You are to go out into the world declaring God’s greatness and goodness.  In this you have position and title.

You are holy.  Because of Christ’s redemptive work on your behalf, you can now stand holy before God.  Clothed in Christ’s righteousness, you are blameless before Him.   “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21)  It is a costly gift given to you freely.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9)   God cherishes you enough sacrifice His son to make you holy.

You are God’s possession.  You are not some forgotten item in the back of the closet, but rather a precious possession created by God and purchased with the blood of His Son.  He knows you; He knows exactly where you are; He knows your circumstances and He knows exactly what you need. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  (Ephesians 2:10) “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar.  You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways.” (Psalm 139:1-3)  “for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”  (Matthew 6:32)  You are precious to God.

Having received these designations, you also have a purpose.  No matter how insignificant you feel, how incapable you may feel or how isolated you believe yourself to be, God has called you to “proclaim His excellencies” and be a witness for Him.  Whether it is to one or many, you have been charged with a duty.  Certainly we proclaim His attributes with our mouths, but like heavens that declare His glory in their normal cycles (Psalm 19), we speak to His greatness when we exhibit “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” even on our worst days.  We proclaim Christ through our actions.  So as we interact with the general public, family, medical staff or caregivers we testify to God’s goodness and greatness because the Spirit of God is at work in us giving a testimony that is greater than we could speak.

In those times that are dark and you feel that you have no value or purpose, remember the truth of scripture that declares your status before God, your position as His child and your mission.  Proclaim God by seeking to live with a grace and an eternal perspective that conveys to the world that God is greater than your trials.