Recently I was asked an interesting question by a friend: “Does God have favorites? Does He like some people more than others?” He then cited people in the Bible like Abraham, Moses, and David. It seemed like God liked them more than other people in the Bible, and they must have been His favorites.
It could be easy to look at men such as Abraham, Moses and David, read of their lives and their relationship with God, and come to the conclusion that He must have preferred them over the other men in the world. Human nature looks at a situation where there are different levels of power or influence and asks if the person in power looks at some more highly than others. If you’re honest with yourself, you’re really wondering if there is a level playing field for everyone or if the scales aren’t quite even.
This happens at home, at work, at school, at church – in life. When others are chosen over you, it’s tempting to see favoritism as the reason. There are times when that might be true. People can show favoritism to others for many reasons. You can see it as unfair – and it might be – but you can’t look at God and see Him by the same standard that you can lowly, fickle man.
Which takes us back to the question:
“Does God have favorites? Does He like some people more than others?”
When my friend asked me this question, I thought about what the Bible had to say about the subject:
Ephesians 6:9
9 Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and He has no favorites. NLT
Acts 10:34-35:
34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. 35 In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.
The Bible is very clear that God does not have “favorites”. He shows no favoritism.
Let’s get something straight – If God chose to show favoritism, it is His right. He is holy and just, and His decision would be right. You have no right to drag Him down to your level to evaluate Him by your standards and then question His motives. But He has made it clear in His Word that His attention and affection is not given flippantly. There is a simplicity and a beauty to how God goes about how He relates to you and me.
God does not regard one person higher than another. It is a person’s heart, attitudes and actions on which God looks.
This is laid out by the Apostle Paul in Romans 2:5-11:
5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
The Apostle Peter also wrote of this in 1 Peter 1:13-17:
13 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”
What Did God See in Abraham, Moses, and David?
When God looked at Abraham, He saw a man who would listen to Him and trust Him, even though it would require Abraham to go places and do things that were far beyond what others would consider reason. He would do this with no scriptures to fall back on – only his relationship with an unseen god Who regarded Abraham to the degree that He would speak to him of His plans.
Genesis 18:17-19
And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
When God looked at Moses, He saw a man who would stand strong for the people of Israel, guiding them and guarding them just as God instructed him to. Moses would learn from God the ways that God would have them live, and then teach it to the people in detail. He would trust what God said to him and do what God asked of him.
Exodus 24:12
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”
Exodus 33:11
So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
When God looked at David, He saw a young man who was dedicated to caring for the flock assigned to him and dedicated to his relationship with God. He was a man who trusted God in the face of great danger; a man whose heart yearned for the presence of God and the relationship he had with Him.
Acts 13:22
…He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’
When you look at these heroes of the Faith, you don’t see favoritism. What you find are examples of the traits God looks for in people that He chooses to reveal Himself to and use to impact the world. Their lives are models for you and me to learn from. Yes, each had times where they fell short of God’s standard – but so do you and I. You can look to each of them and study what it was in their lives that brought them into a deep relationship with God, and then seek to develop those same traits in your own life. You will find that none sought position – they were called into relationship with God, and they pursued it first. They became important because they found God to be important in their own lives.
Fairness is Found in the Decision-Making
Fair does not mean that everyone has the same results. Fairness is found in the decision-making process. God’s decision-making process is founded on His character and His ways. He looks at each person in light of them, interacting and moving according to how you respond in relation to them and the plan He has for your life. Not everyone gets to be the leader – but each person has an important role to play in God’s plan. You have an important role, and if you nurture your relationship with God, you will find that your place is of great significance because you were created uniquely to meet the needs around you.
You Have It in You to Have an Impact
The Bible is clear – God does not show favoritism. It is also clear in Hebrews 11:6 that to be pleasing to Him, He must be acknowledged, trusted, and sought after:
6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.NLT
Since God shows no favoritism, get rid of those thoughts being passed over and replace them with this truth found in James chapter 4:
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you… 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. He will love you in a way that will meet every need you have and empower you to share that love with others. That will bring true fulfillment in your life, and have an eternal impact on the lives of others.
