Chosen

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God is:

King of Kings

1 Timothy 6:15 NLT - For, At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

Revelation 17:14 NLT - Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.

Revelation 19:16 NLT - On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

King of the Universe

John 1:3 NLT - God created everything through him,  and nothing was created except through him.

 

I am:

A chosen child of the King

John 15:16 NLT - You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

Colossians 3:12 NLT - Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Luke 6:35 NLT - Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.

Romans 8:16-21 NLT - For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.

Galatians 3:26 NLT -  For you are all children[a] of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:5-6 NLT - God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

 

Conclusion:

God is King of the Universe. I am a child of God. Therefore, I am a princess (or prince) of the universe!

Let that sink in.

 

All of us are chosen

Being chosen by God is not like being chosen for a special part in a play, or being hired over 147 applicants, or winning a contest. 

God's choosing is universal. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of Him.

However, we must choose to accept our Chosenness. Discovered a book by Henri Nuowen called Life of the Beloved. He explains - in my opinion - both the process and the purpose of being chosen better than anything I've read thus far.

We need to be claiming our Chosen status constantly. Here are Nouwen's three suggestions for doing so:

  1. "First of all, you have to keep unmasking the world about yu for what it is: manipulative, controlling, power-hungry, and, in the long run, destructive. The world tells you many lies about who you are, and you simply have to be realistic enough t remind yourself of this. Every time you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: 'These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called the beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting embrace.' "
  2. "Second, you have to keep looking for people and places where your truth is spoken and where you are reminded of your deepest identity as the chosen one."
  3. "Third, you have to celebrate your chosenness constantly. This means saying 'thank you' to God for having chosen you, and 'thank you' to all who remind you of your chosenness. Gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness that you are not an 'accident,' but a divine choice."

The importance of recognizing our chosenness is that it enables us to love others.

In Nouwen's words, "Instead of making us feel that we are better, more precious or valuable than others, our awareness of being chosen opens our eyes to the chosenness of others. That is the great joy of being chosen: the discovery that others are chosen as well. In the house of God there are many mansions. There is a place for everyone -- a unique, special place. Once we deeply trust that we ourselves are precious in God's evys, we are able to recognize the preciousness of others and their unique places in God's heart.

 

Privilege and Responsibility

The Kingdom of God won the war with evil when Jesus lived sinlessly, died for all creation with self-giving love, and was resurrected triumphant. However, evil has not yet been totally eradicated and there is still strife that would - if we let it - convince us God's victory over evil is still in question.

As a princess of the universe, I'm part of the family (church) tasked with taking back territory claimed by the evil one. I would like to submit that the Church / Bride of Christ as referenced in the Bible is not referring to any one denomination, but rather to those who have committed themselves to living in and living out, their Chosen position.

(Recommended: An eight part series by Ty Gibson called Power Dynamics. It is an in depth study of Ephesians. Videos and Study Guides are available on Storyline Church's YouTube Channel)

 

 

What does a Princess do?

Just for fun I looked up some of the responsibilities of a princess on Earth. This sample list gives us a hint of the seriousness of our chosen status.

A medieval princess was educated in various affairs that were to serve her well in later life. This included the management of the household and socially acceptable ways of dispensing charity. Sometimes the education of a princess also included instruction in public affairs, politics, and history.

 

How to behave like a princess (WikiHow)

 

Following are a few rules for Princesses in the United Kingdom:

Learn As Many Languages As Possible

Modern-day princesses have to know as many languages as possible, so that when they visit diplomats from foreign countries, they can have at least most of the conversation in their native tongue.

Give Up Your Voting Rights

At least in England, that is. While there is no official law, the people of England consider it unconstitutional for the royal family to participate in elections, as they are supposed to represent the entire country. Once you become a princess, there's no more voting if you want to remain in the country's good graces.

Give Up Your Wild Side

A princess is most likely not the type to cause much trouble in the first place, but if she had any semblance of a wild side before, she's going to have to kiss that goodbye when she marries into the royal family. There aren't to be any scandals, no matter how small, coming from her or her family.

Prepare For A Life Of Formalities

Nicknames are not allowed in the royal palace. And you better get used to being called "Her Royal Highness the Princess __ of __."

Stay Impeccably Groomed

Princess Kate, or, rather, Catherine, goes to the salon at least three times a week for a blowout on top of haircuts and stylings. She's never caught in a bad moment, and she's an ideal example of a perfectly primped princess. Being a princess is not for those that like to run errands in their gym clothes after an intense workout.

Live By The Queen's Household Rules

The queen dictates a lot of the little things that go on in the day-to-day lives of the royal family. For example, everyone has to stop eating as soon as the queen is finished with her dinner, even if they've hardly touched it. So you better make sure you eat fast if you want to become a princess and still finish your food.

Go To The Best Schools And Events

To become a princess, you have to meet a prince. The likeliest places to do that are at the most prestigious institutions of higher education or at very high-end balls, galas, or charity events. So anyone expecting to be a princess had better get herself accepted to the best schools and on the lists for those events. It also looks much better, and it is better, for a princess to be well-educated, as she holds such a place of high importance in society.

Give Up Any Other Career Path

Being a princess is a full-time job, and it's expected to stay that way. So even if you went to the fanciest schools in the world to get the degree of your dreams, your dream to be a princess better be pulling you with a bit more strength. Princess Kate has a degree in art history, but she's a full-time princess now.

Skip Running For Office

A princess should never run for political office for similar reasons to the ban on voting. She's a representation of the whole country already, and running for a political office with a certain party would create a divide.

Find Causes You Care About

A major part of being a princess is doing a lot of charity work, and being a caring figure for the country. Most princesses find one or two causes that they truly care about and work toward making improvements in those areas.

from: https://littlethings.com/lifestyle/to-become-a-princess

I also found several sites that suggested life lessons we can learn from Disney princesses. Though the connection to God is not explicitly mentioned, it was interesting to me how many of the basic principles are expressly native to His Kingdom.

Accepting our chosenness includes embracing who we are - who God created us to be. I read about the extraordinary accomplishments of Simone Biles recently. She is one who has done just that - embraced who she is. In an article entitled Gymnastics Doesn’t Know What to Do With Simone Biles’s Dominance from The Atlantic, Jemele Hill says of Simone, 

'She has used the [goat} as her symbol since 2019 because she is the GOAT—as in “greatest of all time.” This, among other things, is what makes [Simone] Biles special. She embraces that she is so extraordinary, that there is no one in the world like her, nor has there ever been. “It’s important to teach our female youth that it’s OK to say, ‘Yes, I am good at this,’ and you don’t hold back,” Her greatness is a form of resistance.'

 

There is a poem by Marianne Williamson that speaks to this chosen status.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

 

What privileges of being a princess come to mind? A few that came quickly to mind are:

  • Forgiveness
  • Strength
  • Protection
  • Companionship

Responsibilities 

  • Believe
  • Have faith
  • Trust God
  • Hope 
  • Love

Make your own list.

 

We're making symbolic crowns from metallic pipe cleaners and beads to remind us that we are Royalty in the Heavenly Kingdom.

 

 

My Father is rich in houses and lands,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

Refrain:
I’m a child of the King,
A child of the King:
With Jesus my Savior,
I’m a child of the King.

My Father’s own Son, the Savior of men,
Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;
But now He is pleading our pardon on high,
That we may be His when He comes by and by. [Refrain]

I once was an outcast stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth;
But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,
An heir to a mansion, a robe, and a crown. [Refrain]

A tent or a cottage, why should I care?
They’re building a palace for me over there;
Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing:
All glory to God, I’m a child of the King. [Refrain]

If anybody asks you
Who I am?
Who I am?
Who I am?

If anybody asks you
Who I am?
Tell them I'm a child of GOD

[the following verses are from lyrics I found on line and liked. They are not exactly what is being sung on this video. There was a note that the verses are often ad libbed]

My name is __________
And I am __ years old
My heart is fixed
And my minds made up
I'm gonna make Heaven my home.

My name is __________
And I am __ years old
I've heard of a city
A city called Heaven
And I'm gonna make it my home

Source: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #298

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