A Chosen Mess

By Gina Padilla

I have a confession — my handwriting is atrocious. I’m usually in such a hurry to get my thoughts written down that I write sloppily and use abbreviations that make perfect sense at the time. But later, when reading over my writing, I can’t figure out what the heck I meant.

Recently I was going through my list of praises — prayers God had answered throughout the last year. While I was going through the list, my eyes stopped on an entry — “chosen mess opp”. I chuckled to myself and wondered what on earth I was referencing. It took me a minute, but I realized I was thanking God for providing me with the opportunity to write for the Chosen Messenger blog. As I laughed, it occurred to me that what I had meant to be an abbreviation was also a solid truth. I am a Chosen Mess. 

I am a chosen and dearly loved child of God, but I can be selfish, angry, frustrated and petty. And that’s only the first hour of the day. I will always be a mess, but if I walk with Jesus, I can be less messy today than I was yesterday. Jesus doesn’t choose us because we’re perfect, He chose us because He’s perfect. 

Paul said, Christ died for sinners “of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15) and as Christians we need to stop the pretense. Stop saying, “I’m fine.” We’re not fine. We’re a mess. But we can be a grateful, humble and loving mess. In our messes we can love others who are messy.

We need to know that our loving Father loves us in our mess. He doesn’t expect us to get it all cleaned up before He chooses us. He already chose us knowing what a mess we were going to be. But He loved us anyway and still loves us. Isn’t that crazy wonderful?

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8 NIV

Quit trying to hide the fact that you’re a mess — God knows it. Quit trying to pretend you have it all together — God knows you don’t. Lean on Him. Abide in Him. Come to Him with your mess and abide in Him as He loves you in the middle of it.

Looking back over the year, myself and my messes, I realize that I’ve grown. There are still messy things in my life, but how I react to them is different. When the Holy Spirit works through me, making me aware of messy areas in my life, I address them with prayer and repentance. And some days are better than others. God is working on my mind, my heart and my soul and although I’m still a mess, I’m a different mess than I was a year ago. 

Life is messy. Humans are messy. But we are dearly loved and chosen Children of God (Colossians 3:12 NIV). Let us learn to accept God’s love and love others in their messes. God is always there, teaching us, guiding us and loving us. Be blessed in your mess.