As Lent begins, I have been struck by a theme that often emerges in the readings of the liturgy: We are chosen by God.
“You are a people sacred to the Lord, your God; he has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own.” (Deuteronomy 7:6)
“We are your people and your inheritance, O Lord … Hear us whenever we call upon you, because you have set us apart among all the peoples of the earth for your inheritance.” (1 Kings 8:51-53a)
“You have seen for yourselves how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself.” (Exodus 19:4)
The Church invites us to remember that God has chosen us and made us his people, his beloved, and he has taken care of us in ways far beyond our understanding. He has been faithful to us even when we rejected him; he has not turned his back on us even when we have turned our backs on him. He promised to supply all our needs, and he has never gone back on that promise.
In other words, early in Lent we are reminded that when God chooses us, he stands by us through thick and thin. As that truth shines on us and rolls around a bit in our hearts, questions naturally arise:
Has God chosen me — does God love me? Even the psalmist grappled with this fundamental question: “What is man that you would care for him?” Although we might wonder at times if God knows us individually — if he knows and cares for me — Scripture makes clear that his love for us is strong, true, faithful, and personal. Read Psalm 139: “O Lord, you have probed me and you know me; you know when I sit and when I stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. My journeys and my rest you scrutinize, with all my ways you are familiar.”
Have I placed emphasis on myself, telling myself that it was I who first chose God? We have a tendency to think everything begins with us and depends on us. However, if I assume that it was I who chose God and not vice versa, I will never understand the meaning of grace, God’s initiative-taking love, friendship and assistance, freely, unexpectedly, and undeservedly offered. Jesus reminded his disciples that it was not they who chose him, but he who chose them. God does ask our response (which in a sense we might call our “choice”), but it is he who first chooses, he who acts first.
As I ask God to hear my prayers, do I take time to listen to his response? No doubt God is accustomed to our talkativeness. Jesus urged persistence in prayer, and St. Paul bid us pray without ceasing. However, prayer is a dialogue, and as we pour out our hearts to him, God asks us to be calm and listen. Perhaps we worry that if we don’t keep reminding God of our request, he will forget it — or if we are not fretting about our concerns in prayer (emphasis on the fretting!) we are somehow not doing our part. Usually when we talk incessantly in prayer, we do so because we are holding on tightly to our troubles while telling God about them.
St. Peter offers an alternative route: “Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) Once we have told God of our needs and concerns in prayer — once we have cast our worries on him — we should be still, confident that he has heard us, and full of hope. The time we spent in fretting can now be spent in peaceful stillness, listening to him.
Have I stood by God through thick and thin, or have I too easily given up on him? <./em>This question challenges us to be patient as God works. God does not toy with us, nor does he offer quick fixes; he works deeply, lastingly within. The letter of James assures us: “Be patient … until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.” (James 5:7)
Have I trusted in God’s promise to supply my needs, or have I placed my trust elsewhere — just in case God does not come through for me? Do I hesitate to give my life entirely to God because I do not have the confidence that God is capable of making me completely happy? That is an incisive question worth pondering during Lent. Much of our self-reliance, our seeking of false gods, our worry, our over-talkativeness in prayer, and our impatience with God might have their root in our lack of confidence that God is capable of making us completely happy.
Not only is God capable of making us completely happy — only he can make us completely happy. That is why we need to be reminded each Lent that he has chosen us and loves us, that he will stand by us and never abandon us, and that he will supply all our needs. If we have gone far afield looking for happiness, Lent is the time to return to the One who loves each of us as the apple of his eye.
Do you have an intention for Bishop Sartain’s prayer? If so, send it to him at Bishop Sartain’s Prayer List, Diocese of Little Rock, 2500 North Tyler St., P.O. Box 7239, Little Rock, AR 72217.
Remember it is God who has chosen us
