Have you ever waited to see if you were chosen? I remember countless pick up baseball and basketball games when the two captains chose their teams. Anxiously, I always counted, hoping for an even number of players. On occasion I was in the “have to take him” conversation. Painful!
When Jesus wanted to choose his apostles he spent the whole night in prayer. Why? Including others necessarily changes their lives. Jesus gathered the disciples and appointed twelve to be apostles. Wait, what is the difference? Disciples are learners, but apostles are the ones who are sent out.
Every year the NFL draft prognosticators say that some athlete will be chosen on the first day. A few times I have seen them go day after day and even leave New York unchosen. Painful! Good news: God invites all of us to follow him. When we begin to follow him, he sends us out to make other disciples.
Years ago, E. V. Hill held up the program for a conference at which he was speaking to a group of preachers. “Some of you are mad tonight because you are not on the program. I just came tonight to say, whether or not your name is printed on the program, you are on God’s program to reach the world. So . . . get with the program.” Amen!
