Favorite or Favored?

St Augustine wrote, "God loves each of us as though there were only one of us." Having two kids myself, I know there were moments when one of them would say, "Who do you love more, mom?" Or perhaps they would postulate about who my "favorite child" was at that moment. As a mom, it is hard to not 'play favorites' at times, especially when one kiddo is acting so sweetly while the other one is a terror from you know where! Ask me at that moment and I'd admit - the sweet one was my 'favorite'! It is good we serve a God who has no favorites - whose love and acceptance is not at all dependent on how we are acting or behaving at the moment, isn't it?

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels won’t, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God’s love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are—high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean—nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us. (Romans 8:38;39 TLB)

Behaving is a very good thing - misbehaving is not really all that 'desirable' in any of us. Yet, our misbehavior doesn't 'ruin' God's love for us. His love doesn't 'sour' by our misbehavior, causing more rottenness in our lives. In fact, his love adds whatever is needed in order to remove that 'sourness' or foulness of character created by our misbehavior! When my kiddos would ask me which one was my favorite, they were sometimes quite sincere in their inquiry. I wonder how much of what motivated them to inquire of me as to their 'standing' with me was based on their own insecurity because they knew their own misbehavior may have 'spoiled' the moment?

I think we are kind of like that with God sometimes - wondering if our misbehavior has somehow 'spoiled the moment' with him. We sense there is disappointment because of our actions - knowing full-well that in a natural sense we'd probably feel that disappointment if someone acted that way toward us. It is a good thing God doesn't see things the way we do - that he doesn't count on our actions, but looks instead on the actions of his Son on our behalf. God doesn't 'play favorites' - he loves us equally, in spite of and in the face of each of our 'failures' or 'misbehaving moments'. I don't know how he does it, but he loves each of us as though we were the only ones he loves. It is beyond my comprehension that he can focus on each of us with such unique clarity and pay such close attention to our lives, but he does! None stands as his 'favorite', but in his eyes, we are 'favored'. Just sayin!

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