"For God does not show favoritism."
Romans 2.11
I had asked Him, before I started reading Romans 2 that morning, to show me something.
I've been starting my journal entries, "Lord, hear me saying..." and sometimes, later on, I'll write, "Lord, I hear you saying...", because He does share things. And if I know what I'm saying to Him, I'm better able to hear what He's saying back to me. It's powerful, you should try it.
Back to favoritism. This verse, meshed between much discussion on Jews and Gentiles, hit at my heart. At my insecurities.
For some reason my thoughts ended up back at the mall with a friend when I was a teenager. It happened plenty of times...we'd go into a clothing store and the salesperson would walk up to that friend and ask if she needed any help. I was completely ignored.
My junior year of college, her freshman year, we attended a Greek dance. Yes, we were both Greeks. A guy immediately came up to her and asked her to dance. I was completely ignored.
The result? Subconsciously I decided I must be really ugly.
I gave sales people and unknown Greek guys a lot of power over who I thought I was.
For God does not show favoritism.
Who do I give power to? Who do I trust to define me?
Then there's the other side...when I am favored. There's been plenty of those times, too.
Using ASB Student Council to get out of class and teachers just winking. Getting private information because of my position, not that I really needed it.
The problem is, though it might feel good to be favored, I don't necessarily trust those who show favoritism. Who knows when they'll change their minds and make someone else their favorite?
Not so with God. He sees all. He knows all. He made all.
He has no favorites, for He is limitless in His love and grace and showers it upon all who will take it.
For me, it is a daily necessity to turn to Him. To trust Him and to turn away from my natural tendency to find my worth in others' opinions.
...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Ro. 3.23,24
