Do you ever find it confusing when people say they are chosen by God, or others make that claim about them? This is especially hard to understand when “the chosen one” doesn’t act or speak as you would expect of a child of God. As the season of Advent begins and Christians everywhere turn their thoughts to the promise of a heavenly kingdom, it helps to examine these claims in the light of Gospel truth.
The Advent wreath holds five candles; three purple and one rose surround the white Christ candle representing Jesus the light of the world, God incarnate in time. ~ jturner DigiSilk©/photo collage
Yes, God is active in our daily affairs. Yet this doesn’t mean he intervenes in daily life in the way a rich or powerful human would, for example, picking and choosing winners and losers. Divine intervention consists solely of willing good in creation. This has consequences in our material world.
We humans have a choice in life: Align with God’s will and do our part in moving creation forward to his kingdom, or obstruct his will and pursue our own interests. When we act with good intentions but our imperfect understanding produces results that are bad, we can trust God to will good even out of our mistakes.
Perhaps you wonder why God chooses flawed people to do his work. The answer is that no one leads a perfect life, but God’s power for willing good is infinite. This will to the good is twofold, bringing about transformation in both creation at large and in the person who works in harmony with God’s will. The more flawed the individual, the greater the potential for movement toward the good. Along with the qualities known as the fruits of the Holy Spirit, a child of God can be recognized by the signs of this movement:
Repentance shows that you are growing in self-awareness and feel shame for the wrongs you have done.
Transformation grows from the healing shame of repentance, though it is often visible to you only by looking back and comparing the way you were in the past to the way you are now.
Compassion shows that your capacity for love is expanding to embrace a wider circle in creation, including people different from you, other species, the environment.
Truthfulness shows that you live in the light of God and have nothing shameful to hide.
Sometimes people withstand every opportunity to align themselves with the divine will to the good. When someone turns away from God there is evidence of that movement, too. Here are some outward and visible signs of the inner spiritual erosion leading to the loss of eternal life:
Denying wrongdoing shows your lack of respect for the teachings of Jesus and the commandments of God.
Refusal to amend shows indifference to others and to God’s creation.
Hating and despising others shows you have turned away from God’s will and thus from life itself.
Lying shows your service is to evil rather than God, who is wholly good.
From now until Christmas you can look forward not only to the birth of Jesus into humanity, but also to his final coming as judge of how you lived your life in answer to his call. Let your quest lead to the growth in self-knowledge leading to repentance and transformation, compassion and truth, and the power, glory and freedom of eternal life. Have a blessed Advent.