God Has No Favorites
Yesterday, my blog was about community and pickleball. I want to take “community” a step further today — God’s idea of community. This photo is the header from our community’s Facebook Residents Group of 70 residents so far. As the Admin of the group, I wanted a visual of what this group represents. We are all different in so many ways, but because we are community, we are together as one! For today’s blog, I added the words: “God has no Favorites” to the graphic. Various cultures, ethnicities, genders, and faiths here, but we ALL have God in common as His children. The Apostle Peter penned these words: “I perceive that God is NO RESPECTER of persons….” (Acts 10:34)
RESPECTER: a person whose attitude and behavior is influenced by consideration of another’s rank, power, ethnicity, religion, culture, social class, wealth, etc. A “no respecter” is someone who treats everyone else in the same manner, regardless of their differences. God set the example for us because He has no favorites! He is NO RESPECTER of us. We ALL have access to God’s mercies and blessings. He loves us all. The prerequisite is acknowledging Him as our Father as His beloved children who love and respect their “Dad”.
The question is “Do we show discrimination toward others?” Where there is RESPECTER of persons – there are always divisions, resentments, and hostilities. Where there is NO “RESPECTER” of persons and impartial treatment of all, we find mercy, love, unity and, above all, PEACE!
“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black, and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” This children’s song was written by George Root in 1864, in the middle of the Civil War. Slavery was cited as the main cause for the war. There were many other political and cultural differences between the North and the South that also contributed to the GREAT DIVIDE between the two.
I couldn’t help but think about the GREAT DIVIDE in America today. The writer of that little song got it right. WE are ALL God’s children. God is our common denominator. We are all precious in God’s sight and He encourages us to see His children as He sees and loves them — like little children who have no prejudices. They just love. In Matthew 18:4-5, Jesus invited us to come to Him “like little children” and said: “whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Maybe it’s time for a check-up from the neck-up. Are we a NO respecter of persons or are we partial to some and not others? Are our children just like us — kind, impartial, and tenderhearted because we are kind, impartial and tenderhearted to others? They love everyone regardless of background, race, class, or financial status. Just like us!! Or are they just like us in the opposite ways. When it comes to the “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” TEST, will we pass it OR flunk it?
“If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” I John 4:11