This is Important If You Want to Be the Favorite

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We all wanted to be the favorite kid.

I always believed I was my grandma’s favorite and told the family to keep any contradicting facts or opinions to themselves.

I also believe that great teachers make their students realize that they are uniquely and wonderfully made, and for those reasons, they’re each a favorite. Good parents do the same.

As much as we want to believe that God has favorites because David was called a “man after God’s own heart,” and John referred to himself as the “disciple Jesus loved,” Paul wrote…

God does not show favoritism.

Romans 2:11

Every person created by God is dearly loved and precious to Him. He knows our personalized gifts and abilities as well as every moment of our past and future. He promised to be with us, and love and care for us always.

We’re His favorites!

And what does He want in response?

He wants us to SEEKK, KNOW, LOVE, TRUST, and OBEY Him.

Paul continued with the following…

When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in His sight.

Romans 2:12–13

Verses like these are why it is essential not to take verses out of context in God’s Word. On their own, they make a case for works righteousness, making us “work” to be the favorite. But Paul also wrote…

 God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:8–10

We want to obey God because we love Him and want to please Him.

Remember, Jesus said…

If you love me, obey my commandments.

John 14:15

Obedience is defined as “dutiful or submissive compliance to the commands of one in authority.” ~ GotQuestions.com

Although we love God and want to please Him, we will not dutifully submit or comply perfectly. Sadly, we give in to our selfish pride regularly.

And that’s why we celebrate the truth that God does not show favoritism. He has not chosen one person or one denomination over another. He is love, and His love is available to everyone. Neither our sins nor our good works will be weighed on a balancing scale when we stand before God’s throne.

What will be addressed is whether or not we love and trust God (Father, Son, and Spirit) so much that we repent and intentionally live to honor and glorify Him in all we think, say, and do. Whether we love and trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

That’s submissive compliance … not that we do it on our own, but that we surrender ourselves to the power of the Spirit and humbly ask Him to work in us and through us.

Let’s pray…

A Prayer for Humble Obedience
When I Want to Be the Favorite

Father, just wanting to be the favorite shows that I am guilty of selfishness and pride. I am so sorry. Please forgive me.

Thank you for loving us and for giving Your Son, Jesus, to save us. I want to believe I’m doing good things and pleasing You with my obedience. But Your Word tells me You desire a consistently humble, repentant heart that loves You and the people around me. And at best, I know I’m inconsistent.

You are our perfect parent. You are righteous, impartial, and fair. Through Jesus, You made it possible for every sin to be forgiven and every sinner to be made clean. It’s hard for us to comprehend a love like Yours. We like to think we can work hard and succeed in both the secular and spiritual worlds.

But we need You. There is nothing I can do to earn or deserve Your saving mercy and grace. They are precious gifts sourced in Your love.

So, I will forever thank, praise, and love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I humbly give myself to You and with Your Spirit’s help, I will trust, obey, and live for Your glory.

Please work within me and make me more like Jesus. In whose name I pray. Amen.

Here is a quote I hope will bless you…

“The Christian Gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself or less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.” ~ Tim Keller

Pause to celebrate today. You may not be the only favorite, but you are loved and chosen by the King of kings and Lord of lords. It doesn’t get any better than that.

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