by Michelle Welch
“And remember that the Heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites.”
1 Peter 1:17 (NLT)
Occasionally when people find out how many children sweetheart and I have, they will ask “Who is your favorite?” Ummmmmm, What day is it? Who hasn’t called, texted, tweeted, or facebooked some life-changing issue that must be handled by mom and dad immediately? That child would be our favorite at that moment.
Of course, if you ask each child individually, they will say the other siblings are our favorite. She got a bigger bike than me. He got a more expensive gadget than me. She went to a private college. He got to go to Chicago on his band trip. As any parent knows, you can have no favorites. The juggling act you must perform is to make them all think they are your favorite. (sorry, sad but true kids!)
I can’t imagine Abba’s frustration with all the clamoring for His attention in our pursuit of being His favorite. For every human being wants to be someone’s favorite.
We want everyone to think we are bigger, smarter, taller, better, richer, more educated, more worthy. It doesn’t take much for us to make someone else feel small and worthless. No one’s favorite.
This is often true of Christians. Can’t everyone see that we are the favored ones? That God loves us more? That we have it all? Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Colossians 3:11 (NLT) “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile…, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.”
This verse has special meaning to me. I didn’t know that God had no favorites. I thought that everyone but me was a favorite of God. The weight of my guilt was staggering. Unfortunately, there were few in my life who wanted me to learn of this amazing gift that God had for me.
My goal since meeting God is to make sure that no one ever feels like they are not God’s favorite. No matter their circumstance. No matter their sin. God plays no favorites. He doesn’t love me more than them. He doesn’t love anyone more or less than He loves me.
What an amazing concept! How free this makes me feel. How loved this makes me feel. I want to spread that feeling to everyone I know. The love that He feels for you is equal in every way to the love He feels for everyone else on earth. Equal. The same. No different.
Even in the midst of my sin, He loves me and wants whats best for me. We are commanded to do the same. Love all. Play no favorites. Exclude no one.
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony”
Colossians 3:14 (NLT)
Copyright © 2012 Michelle Welch, Breath of Life Women’s Ministries. Bible scripture taken from NLT.
