Chosen By Grace.

When Edward James got a job, he gets excited and looks forward to his first day at work, meeting his colleagues and doing a well at work. He also looks forward to being promoted and moving from one level to another in the hierarchy of the company.  As a result of this, he puts on his best performance at work. He makes sure he performs week upon week and gets to the good books of his departmental head and every one in the organisation. When he got all the promotions and he had grown over the years in the organisation and becoming one of the big boys "top executive" in the organisation, he started attributing his growth and position to his hard work and professionalism over the years. 
He forgot that God and his mercies have been working for him. He looks down on others who are not doing well and says they are lazy and they are not "sharp" guys. He sees his friends who started the hustling with him and are still trying to get their footings and he says they are not serious in life. He attributes his success to his skills and diligence. He has forgotten that we all are living by the mercies of God. He is ignorant of Psalm 3:5 which says " I lie down and sleep;I wake again, because the LORD sustains me". 

This is the same story of many of us. The example paints the picture of so many people in the world. They attribute their success in academics, jobs, marriage, businesses, and so on to their determination and hard work. I am not saying that hard work, professionalism and determination are not important. We all need to put in our strength and efforts to see that our ventures work and become successful.
However, I have seen people put in all the hard work, skills, determinations, professionalism but nothing is coming out. I have also seen some people put in little efforts and they have achieved a lot. There are people out there who can out with first class and second class upper from universities and they are still struggling. Some are still looking for jobs after graduating even with their outstanding results.
Also, I have seen people put in so much efforts, skills, professionalism in their businesses and things are not going well with their businesses. While those without business skills and acumen are doing well in their businesses. You went for an interview and you were chosen out of one hundred people who came for the job and you think it was your skills and prowess that got you the job. Many out of those people who came for the interviewed are more qualified than you but you the were chosen. 
In your office you got promoted and you think your performances gave you the promotion. Yes, outstanding performances could give you promotion but have you seen people who do well on the job and they have not been promoted for years. They have been in one position for seven years even with their outstanding performances, skills and professionalim.

1 Corinthians 15:10 says ( But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.).
The above scripture supports hard work but it also says that whatever Paul had achieved and become was by the grace of God. Do you see the hand of God in your life, business, job, business, career and so on? God is a faithful God. It is by grace you are what you are today. Grace is seen as unmerrited favour, abilities and skills. Yes, he has favoured you and your enterprise, so you should think of yourself more highly than others and also think that your skills got you to the level you are in.

Romans 11: 3-5 says, (3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"? 4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace).  
The above scriptures talks about Elijah and his complaints to God and God's response to him. It also says that there is a remnant " Chosen By Grace". Yes, you and I have been chosen by grace to become Christians and remain as Christians. We are Christians today because of the grace of God and not our efforts and things we do as Christians. Many charismatic Christians before you have fallen but you are still intact and running the race. God has been merciful and gracious to us all. If he were to deal with us accordingly, no one will be alive today.
Furthermore, Romans 12:3 says (3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you). Do not think that you are better off than others. But see yourself with the eye of grace. You have come this far because you have been chosen by grace and not because your are the best. Wilson Ileogben