Saying Goodbye to Playing Favorites

Aren't you glad God doesn't play favorites? Praise the Lord salvation has been offered to all men. (Titus 2:11) And He doesn't love us more on our good days than He does on our bad days. (Hebrews 13:8) But, can the same thing be said about us?

I give people I like special treatment. Maybe dish out a little more patience to the people who benefit me. I tend to love on the people who love me well. And I give time to those who I deem worthwhile. And every time I do this, I wonder how it causes the Holy Spirit to groan? (1 Thes. 5:19)

I wonder how many blessings we’ve missed out on when we choose to sit next to the popular girl instead of the awkward one? (James 1:27) And I wonder how many chances we’ve missed to be like Jesus, because we wanted to be like the people around us? How many times could we have pleased God, but instead chose to please people? (Col. 3:23)

The parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:21-35 absolutely devastates my heart when I see myself as the servant who was forgiven much but was guilty of withholding forgiveness to another for much less an offense. Oh, how often are we guilty of being stingy with grace, when we’ve been so extravagantly showered upon by the grace of the God Most High.

And yet I wonder, is it not the same with everything He gives us? His patience, His love, time, financial provision, personality, and talent. What we receive from Him, we too often expend it as we see fit to who we see fit. But what is from Him deserves to be used according to Him.

“God is no respecter of persons.”(Romans 2:11) These words overwhelm me. He does not treat me as I should be treated. He treats me according to His goodness not my worthiness.

And so should my treatment be of others. The way I spend my time, and give of my blessings, and extend God’s love and patience and grace toward others ought to be shaped by Who He is not how I feel or who the person is. Oh, that I could create the habit of showing Christ without my flesh determining the terms of agreement.

How can we follow after God in being “no respecter of persons?” We can show impartiality by giving according to Who God is. May our hearts consider the One Who has not limited His gifts toward us because of our insufficiency, but blesses according to His sufficiency. The One to Whom we are forever indebted, and yet He continues to bless exceedingly abundantly.

God's impartiality is dependent on His character- He is loving and just. And as we reflect on and follow after His character, we will find in us the ability of impartiality. We will act no longer on our opinion of others and other's opinions of us, but on our opinion of God and God's opinion of us. Time to say goodbye to playing favorites, and start saying yes to God.

Lord, forgive me for withholding what was never mine in the first place. Forgive me for being choosy in how, when, or who I give to. Empower me to simply be a channel of Yourself, Your goodness, and Your blessings to anyone, not according to me or them, but according to Who You are. Let me be no respecter of Persons. But to act out of respect for the One Person Who is everything and gave everything for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Be sure to check out the other posts about make a life out of loving people and how to love people like Jesus