REAL TALK: Does God Play Favorites?

One time, a Christian friend of mine approached me saying, "Ate Hazel, you're really blessed! I feel like you're one of God's favorites, Ate, do you think maybe someday God would notice me too?"

At that moment, I felt dumbfounded by her question. Of course, I know God doesn't play favorites. But that time, I couldn't explain why.  Her question felt like God's homework for me...something I needed to first bring home to work on, to explore and reflect upon and to pray about before I could give her the answer she needed to hear.So to that lovely girl who asked me this question,

I hope you're reading this now.

DOES GOD PLAY FAVORITES?

A Deeper Look into the Favor of God

I would start by quoting this very straight-forward verse:

Romans 2:11

"God does not show favoritism." 

But right, that probably wouldn't be enough. 

The common misconception of God's favor is that when people think that if they have it, they could laze around while God showers them gifts. 

Another misconception people have of God's favor, is that God is a God who chooses which people to bestow His blessings upon--and that He plays favoritism. 

Well, NO. It is NOT how it works. 

Proverbs 8:35

"Whoever finds me, finds life, and receives favor from the Lord." 

When you decide to fully commit yourself to God, you let the favor of God come into your life, which will bring you to greater connections, wider horizons and a bigger territory--other than just your life. You will live a life bigger than yourself. Activating yourself to pursue God will give God the opportunity to bless you. God wants to bless you and all you have to do is let Him.


But before anything else, you've got to ask yourself two important things:

1. Am I at the center of God's will?

2. Have I agreed to let God's favor in my life as I work towards His goal?

Think of God's favor like Wi-Fi, and the center of His will as the Wi-Fi zone. 

The farther you go away from Him, the weaker your Wi-Fi becomes. The nearer you go, the stronger His favor in your life is, and the easier it is for you to connect with others and receive the blessings through it. 

The decision to whether you experience God's favor is UP TO YOU. It's really not up to Him.

Maybe that's what they mean when they say....God is your STRONGEST connection. 

BE AT THE CENTER OF GOD'S WILL.

Which way to the center?

Being at the center of God's will means living life accordingly to His Word.It is living life in obedience to what God has meant you for. You know you are at the center of His will if you have the same heart with God when it comes to living your life. 

It's when you decide to live your life not as if you own it, but as if God owns it....I think.


You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. – Psalm 16:11 

Okay, for number 1, check! 

Maybe yes, you are at the center of His will, but your life still hasn't grasped the "Wi-Fi" yet.

This leads us to question number 2, have you activated your phone's Wi-Fi yet? Have you agreed to let God's favor into your life? Have you committed your daily life to pursuing His purpose and achieving His goals in your life?

Baka naman kasi yung iyo lang pala yung naka-off. 

ACTIVATE GOD'S FAVOR IN YOUR LIFE.

How do you activate it?

Edi ayusin mo lang settings ng buhay mo. Hehe. Ayus ba?

The Manual of Life has all the instructions you've been looking for. I am not a pastor or a theologian to begin with, I'm just like you who happens to wonder and most of the time, stare at nowhere because malalim ang iniisip.


1.  God's favor comes from, first and foremost, who you are "inside" (your mind, your heart and your character) NOT what you have "outside" (your money, your ranking, your friends). 

Meaning to say, God's favor doesn't necessarily measure up to our life circumstances.

The life of Joseph makes a great case study of God's favor and success. It is a classic story of how someone can face terrible rejections and extreme setbacks and still come out on top with God's favor.  Imagine how painful it was to have your own brothers sell you to slavery? Imagine how betraying it was to have a woman like Potiphar accuse you and have you punished for something you would never do? 

Joseph could have fallen into the trap of anger, bitterness and resentment. 

He could have lived his life with the goal to revenge.

But he chose not to. 

Who Joseph is "inside," his life settings, was activated to God's favor. He chose to remain at the center of God's will....sa "Wi-Fi zone" ika nga.

At this horrible time, where Joseph was a slave and owned absolutely nothing, his connection with God remained strong that he was able to rise above it through his faith in God's destiny for his life. 

See that Joseph did not seek "God's favor" through his circumstances, but he was able to find God's favor inside him, through his character. 

Genesis 39:2-4

"[Joseph's] master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all the he did to  prosper in his hand. And Joseph found favor in his master's sight and he served him and made him an overseer over his house and all that he had put into his hand." 

I lost my father to heart disease the same year I was about to graduate college. My situation would've been a perfect excuse to go on depressed and lose my motivation to graduate with flying colors. 

But thankfully, I found God's favor in me (not in my circumstances) and I was able to graduate with honors, because I chose to be activated at the center of His will and because I believed so much in His plan for my life. I knew that soon I was just about to conquer a greater territory God has meant for me. (Well...Thank you, to that Jesus' Flock church retreat for reminding me of this truth!!!


To activate God's favor is to activate your faith.

And when you have activated God's favor in your life, "all these things shall be added unto you." 

Ang password lang po ng Wi-Fi ay: "FAITH" 


Capslock. Para intense.



2. Work as to the LORD, not unto man.


I do believe that ALL Christians are called for a mission, NOT despite our professions, but rather THROUGH our professions. Sometimes we Christians fall into the trap of going to our secular work thinking we are in the wrong place and that we should be out there as "full-time" missionaries. This misconception robs us from ministering in the places where God has placed you to shed The Light.  

There is a whole new different way of looking at our daily lives and our careers. If you want to experience the favor of God in your work, you must first decide "to work unto Christ" in everything that you do. EVERYTHING. 

Colossians 3: 23 - 25

"23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism."

No matter what your job is (mopping floors, working in a factory, or conducting a business meeting in the penthouse), having this attitude of "working for God" can revolutionize your most mundane tasks which God can use to  lead you from "here" to "there."

And finally, take you to your destiny.

CONSTANTLY RENEW GOD'S FAVOR IN YOUR LIFE.

God's favor is His gift to us, what we do with it is our gift to Him. 

His favor is already experienced whenever you wake up in the morning. Your existence today is already a proof of God's provision today. He continues to provide you life. Which therefore, our thanksgiving to Him should be, well, "new every morning." Remember that with each new sunrise, God reminds us that He is with us in our second chances and new hopes.

Living a Godly life does not mean living a luxurious happy life. 

I'm sure the persecuted Christians and martyrs all over the world will agree with me in this.

You may ask, "But if so, is it worth it to live a Godly life?"

The answer is YES.

Because I can confidently say that living Godly life is living an ABUNDANT life.

A life full of purpose. A life worth waking up for. A life highly favored by God.

* ~~~~~~~~~ *

So that was three points of a message...probably my baby-step closer to being a "Pastora." 

Joke lang.