John 15:16 

¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

“I chose you and appointed you …”

It’s heartwarmingly marvelous to conceive that we have a personable, loving God who would choose us. This is completely unthinkable outside of the Christian faith. I cannot even fathom the complete love and power it takes to individualize every person throughout eternity. He is the great I Am, of that I am fully convinced.

But why would he choose me and not someone else? I can perhaps speculate that our God, not constrained by time, perceives the future and knows who remains faithful to him.

Appointed to do what? … to bear lasting fruit. Then an alarming thought came to me. I am lacking in more than half the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5. What should I do? Google says, “appointed” means “decided beforehand.” Which lasting fruit has he decided for me to bear?

The next line says that whatever I ask in his name will be given. Now what would be a sensible ask? My initial request will be to bear the fruits of longsuffering, gentleness and love and then to work from there. Although I am somewhat apprehensive of the lessons he will teach, as I don’t think it is possible to become patient overnight! However, he has truly blessed me with a longsuffering and gentle wife and daughter from whom I will draw inspiration.

Perhaps then, when I am equipped with these fruits, I can ask for other things that he will grant, such as health for my mother and mother-in-law who are burdened with regular stomach pains and COPD.

I look at the next verse (v.17): “This is my command: love each other ” and I may find a greater understanding of Jesus’ reason for my appointment in v.16 ─ To love one another. I must start with my immediate circle of influence; to genuinely love and reach out to two work colleagues who are resistant to the gospel ─ one is a recent converted Muslim, and the other an open-minded left thinker ─ to “agape love” them; to not want them and their families to perish eternally; to pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare their hearts and that I can give the right message with sensitivity and in defense of the gospel during our discussions.  

So, with the realization that I have been explicitly chosen and appointed to bear fruit and am equipped to be his representative in this place, I declare that God is good!