Do you have a favorite athlete, musician, or actor/actress? What sets them apart from the rest? Does it have anything to do with their character or does it all revolve around their abilities? How about your children; do you have a favorite? Do you have one favorite friend that you would do anything for? Do you show favoritism to some co-workers or employees? Now I’ve got one more big question; do you think God has favorites?
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I know some of you are saying no way why ask that question. Have you ever wondered why some seem blessed by God and others aren’t? Have you often wondered why miracles happen to other people but not to you? Have you ever thought you are not worthy to be blessed? If you have ever thought these thoughts, I’m right there with you. I remember thinking others are blessed financially, physically, emotionally all while wondering does God really love me. I’m here to tell you yes he loves you. He loves you where you are and He loves you in all the good as well as bad decisions that you make.
I remember reading the book of Galatians years ago and I came across verse 2:6 which states “God shows personal favoritism to no man.” I remember reading this and I was on a plane heading to Haiti to serve and I was in awe that God loves all the people that I was about to meet. He had no favorites. I remember underlining the scripture in my bible and holding onto this thought that God doesn’t have any favorites. Wow.
Well that was over 5 years ago now that I first read that verse and honestly I don’t think I’ve thought much about it since that trip. I’ve focused on other things instead and had in some ways moved on. That is until this week. This week I was reading Romans and read in 2:11 “For there is no partiality with God.” This reminded me and brought a spark of remembrance to the verse in Galatians but I couldn’t remember where it was. So I did what I do all the time, I looked at all the cross references. Needless to say I was in awe at what I found.
- Acts 10:34 states, “I perceive that God shows no partiality.”
- Ephesians 6:9 says, “And you masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”
- Colossians 3:25 “But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.”
- Deuteronomy 10:17 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.
I was also brought back to the Galatians verse. What I love though is that God knew he had to tell us more then once that He doesn’t have favorites. I don’t know what that tells you but as a parent when I remind my children of something over and over again it’s usually because it is so important that I don’t want them to forget. God does not want us to compare ourselves to others and think they are blessed more then us because in fact we are all under the blessing. There is not one person that cannot receive the gifts that God has for us.
I have a feeling some of us are selling ourselves short. We think we aren’t good enough, we aren’t smart enough, we don’t have gifts or talents. Let me tell you if you have those thoughts they are a LIE. Remember Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. He will fill you with doubt and fear. When that happens it is not God. Satan has been defeated but often we do not KNOW what is ours. We don’t know what the blessing of God is.
May I encourage you to read Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and also remember this is the blessing of Abraham and we are now heirs to this (Roms 4:11). God even spoke to His people in the old testament as you can see. However, we are no longer under the old testament, we have a better covenant but that doesn’t mean it extinguishes the old. Instead we have the blessings of Abraham and what Jesus has done. We have grace, redemption, mercy, love, healing, wholeness. We need to understand it’s ours and stop listening to the lies of the enemy. God doesn’t have a favorite. He loves YOU for who you are. If it appears He has blessed another, remember you are blessed too and receive what He has for you.