Wanted: the Weak, the Not So Bright and the not So Pretty

If the world doesn't quite fit your size. if you are out of touch, out of place, on the outside. If everything doesn't come up roses, if you are not in the "in crowd" If you feel left out, lonely, sad, afraid that you are worthless and unloved, I have great news for you. Take some time to gaze, I mean really gaze at Jesus Christ hanging on his cross. He was battered, bruised, bloodied, with nails driven into him. He was not accepted, rejected, ridiculed. He was weak, a lowly carpenter, who shouldn't have amounted to much. Please hear the words of St. Paul:

First from His Letter to the Philipians:

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Do not worry about your inadequacies. Humble yourself and God will exalt you. Don't worry yourself over where you stand in the pecking order of human things. Humble yourself and God will place you first. No matter what others think of you. No matter what cruel and mean things they may do or say to you. God knows you and God loves you and you will be exalted if you follow Him.

Next from Paul's Letter to the Corinthians:

Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord."

This is the good news. You do not have to be special, chosen, pretty, smart, in with society's beautiful people to belong to Christ. In fact those attributes lead to boasting about ourselves. Instead use who you are to be humble and give all glory to God and God will use you. In the end humble and obedient service to God will lead to eternity with Him and you will be exalted.