Those Whom He Wanted
He went up to the mountain and called
to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve,
whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the
message, and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve:
Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee
and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges,
that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and
Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean,
and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
When you go out to buy flowers, do you look at the ones that are already blooming or do you look to see how healthy the buds are? Look to see how many healthy buds are starting to form, just as Jesus did. When our Lord chose His apostles, He selected imperfect men. One had a history of shady business practices, others had violent tempers. Yet Jesus looked not at their imperfections but at their potential.
Jesus uses the same approach with us.
He loves us so much that He chose us despite our imperfections. Through the
Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, He nurtures and transforms us into His
glorious image. Next time you are with family, friends, and co-workers, don’t
focus on imperfections. Instead, look for rosebud potential.
The Spirit
develops in us the clear image of Christ.
Our Daily
Bread –