Not Usually the Favorite, but Always Favored

Ah, favoritism. That dreaded word that most people don’t want to talk about but have been affected by in some way or another. I’ve had some experience with being the favorite, but more often than not, I’m on the other side of it. I’ve noticed that usually, people obtain favorite status with men are either extremely good at something, are very present and around a person a lot, or have a very loud personality and are hard to ignore. 

People are quick to say that God doesn’t have favorites, but then you’ll hear them saying things like, “oh, she’s the best.” Or, “he’s the nicest”. Or, “isn’t she the prettiest”? It becomes painfully obvious that God may not have favorites, but people surely do.  

Having introverted tendencies, I definitely don’t have a loud personality and I’m pretty easy to ignore. I do enjoy my alone time and I’m not that clingy of a person so I’m not the one to always be making myself known. However, I am pretty good at music and people seem to be drawn to that at times. Unfortunately, my experience with being peoples favorite has also led me to realize that people don’t have favorites for very long periods of time.   

If I placed too much value on what people thought of me, I would never be fulfilled. I know this, because I used to do it. Sadly, these feelings still try to creep in at times. However, I know who I am in Christ and He says that I am enough. Even when people don’t agree, even when I don’t agree, He says it is true, so I choose to believe it and stand on it! 

I’m so thankful for the fact that God doesn’t have favorites. This means that I don’t have to compete with someone else to get Him to notice me and give me what I need. It means that I don’t have to be good enough, pretty enough, or smart enough. It means that if I have the blood that He shed applied to my heart, I am enough in Him!

I don’t have to earn it; it was already bought and paid for. Now, all I have to do is walk in the favor that He has given me. And all you have to do is walk in the favor that He has given you. He is no respecter of persons, remember? 

Psalm 5:12 says, “For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”

So if everyone has favor, then why does he mention some people in the Bible as being favored and not others? I actually asked myself that question and studied it out. What I noticed is that the people that he mentions as being favored are the ones who did ridiculously hard things out of obedience to the Lord. Luke 1:28 says, And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. The angel is talking to Mary who was obviously favored but who also obviously carried the very heavy weight of being the mother of Jesus. So maybe being favored is sounding more like work.

Sometimes favor looks like blessings and open doors that, without God working on our behalf, shouldn’t be open. A lot of times it looks like more responsibility. To whom much is given, much is required. It always looks like being right with God and not having to push, lie, and steal our way to good things.  

It’s knowing that God will take care of us, no matter what the world looks like. It’s knowing that He is on our side and He will make a way for us where there seems to be no way.

Maybe you don’t feel like you’re walking in favor like you want to be and would like to know how to increase your favor with the Lord. What I have learned is that increased favor comes from increased obedience. Saying yes to Him when he asks you to do the hard things is the quickest way to release His favor in your life.  

I have had some very special blessings just in the past couple of weeks that I know are because of God’s favor. Ranging from a beautiful electric piano for a very small donation on my part to a gift of snack items that when I began to look at it, I realized that it contained each member of my family’s favorite things. 

This gift wasn’t from anyone who would know or even care what our favorites were, (it was a local store who had gotten rid of things that were getting ready to expire to make room for more) but there they were, all of our favorites. I felt like it was God smiling on me and telling me that me and my family are seen, loved, and taken care of. This is not all of the blessings we received in that couple weeks! We have been blessed in other ways as well, saving us a couple hundred dollars.  

You all, I am in tears just typing this blog and thinking about the goodness of God. I will say that not all weeks are like this. But I can say with assurance that I know that God will not only provide for our needs, but sometimes, He will also give us our favorite things too, just because He loves us.

I have some other specific things that I’m believing Him for. What I need is kinda big, but it shouldn’t scare me. I know it doesn’t scare Him. What I need it for is to advance His kingdom and He is NOT poor. Psalm 50:10-12 says, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.”

Matthew 7:11 says, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” I am His child, and I am asking Him right now to provide for that need. I have faith that He will do it!   

You all, it’s not that I’m all that special. Believe me, I’m definitely not. But I do love Jesus and I try to please Him. One of the greatest rewards of his favor for me is not all the extra things, but it’s knowing that Romans 8:28 is true when it says “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”

You can claim that today as your own, because if you are God’s child and you’re walking in obedience to him, it is yours! Know who you are in Christ and walk in the favor that belongs to you!

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Telina Frye is the author of Dare to Dream, as well as a pastor’s wife and mother to her 13 year old son and 10 year old daughter. 

She is a singer/songwriter and a natural born dreamer. Telina is also credentialed in the Church of God as an Exhorter and holds a Minister of Music License. She serves as the worship leader at the church where her husband serves as lead pastor. 

Telina loves having deep, meaningful conversations about what is and what could be. She hopes this blog will inspire readers to dare to look past what is, see what can be, and reach for the impossible.