In Acts 1, we read of the method the disciples deploy to choose another disciple to replace Judas who had died at that point.

The bible tells us they had two main options; Joseph and Mathias, and after they had prayed, the bible said they cast lots among themselves and the lot fell to Mathias, and so he took Judas place among them.

In the last few years, the Holy Spirit has brought me to look from the perspective of the ‘unchosens’ (literally, not spiritually), to see if I can interpret or understand their perspectives and also learn lessons that may have been missed only focusing on the chosens.

Unchosens include the likes of Joseph in this case, some others are Orpah, Esau, Manasseh, etc

Today I’m meditating on Joseph called Barsabas, who happened to be the runner up to Mathias.

I wonder if Joseph felt bad that he wasn’t chosen, I wonder if he felt less spiritual than Mathias, I wonder if people mocked him saying “with all your spiricoco (spiritual fervency), they still didn’t pick you.

I wonder if that experience affected his esteem or spiritual walk negatively or positively. I wonder if he ever forgot about it and just carried on serving the Lord, with or without a title.

He was mentioned just that once in the bible, with several theologians of old suggesting where he carried on to and what he ended up doing, but from the scripture available to us, we’ll meet him just here, and not again.

I believe there are so many believers who constantly have moments feeling like the ‘unchosens’ (literally), I say literally in bracket often because in Christ, we’ve been called “a chosen generation”, so there is absolutely nothing unchosen about us spiritually, so when I say unchosen, I’m referring to being in situations where others were chosen ahead of you, maybe not always for apostleship, could be for a job, or a promotion, or a scholarship, or a gig, or for marriage, or for friendship, or anything at all.

We could find ourselves in these shoes sometimes and I pray always, as I do studying about ‘unchosens’ in the bible, that they insist on seeing it all through Gods perspective.

But what does Gods perspective look like?

1. It looks like refusing to interpret not being chosen across all aspects of your life. Eg interpreting a man marrying someone else as against you as rejection from God also. I strongly believe and hope that Joseph carried on in ministry without the title of being counted with the apostles. A no from anything on this earth does not equate to a no from God to you as a person.

2. It looks like discerning when being unchosen could be Gods redirection or protection. I have a habit of going back to Abba when I find myself in ‘unchosen’ scenarios, I want to know why, whether it was a function of me, a result of the fallen world or His own divine orchestration. I don’t always get the answer, but when I do, it helps boost my faith and anchor me further in Gods own way of seeing things. Sometimes it could be Gods hand redirecting or protecting us in being unchosen.

3. It looks like remaining faithful in spite of being ‘unchosen’. Thankfully our call in Christ isn’t tied to any titles or awards. We must not reduce the divinity and privilege of serving God to a rat race for fleshy and materialistic things like titles or awards. Our spirits must be so satisfied with service that every other thing that comes is complimentary and treated as so. Faithfulness attracts responsibility but responsibility that must be from love and not a desire for reward.

4. It looks like refusing to make an enemy of the ‘chosens’. I imagine if Joseph allowed strife grow in his heart and started to keep malice with Mathias because he was chosen, imagine how negatively that would’ve impacted his heart and his relationship with the other apostles. In Gods perspective, we must never see an enemy, even when we haven’t been chosen. If we do, we must be quick to bring our hearts before God for searching and cleansing because it’ll only be a matter of time before envy and hatred spring from those ill-feelings.

5. Finally, it looks like being wary of pride when being the ‘chosen’ yourself. Imagine that Mathias thought himself better or more spiritual than Joseph because the lot was cast in his favour. We must never measure spiritual things by earthly metrics, even when in spiritual settings. We must realise that pride will seek any opportunity to take root in us and we must be careful to reject it when it comes and root it out if we find it in us.

Gods perspective will always bring us to greater depth in Him, never malice, strife, pride or anger. When we appear ‘unchosen’ in situations of the world, we must insist on seeing it through Gods perspective and allowing Him lead us in the direction that edifies us and glorifies Him.

I believe that God is raising the saints up to a place where our hearts are fully satisfied in His work and it is never about the accolades, choosing or applause of men that we find any value, but in glorifying God alone, whether in the place of the chosen or unchosen.