Devotional - April 3, 2024
Scripture: Galatians 2:6 As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message.
Trying to understand a God who shows no favoritism is difficult. Trying to imagine being perfectly neutral is difficult enough. We all would like to think we do not show favoritism, yet it finds its way into our behavior more than we would like. Yet, it makes life interesting too. What would sports be, if we had no favorites? Or, ice cream, Rocky Road might as well be King of the Road for me. But before God and in the church, we are all the same regardless of the role we play in or away from the church. The only exception being pastors and teachers, they will get judged more harshly (James 3:1). The Message is more important than the messenger. God moves through different people according to their gifts and situation (1 Cor 12: 7-13). Unfortunately, we tend to gravitate to the more charismatic personalities and focus on what they say and do. God focuses on the situation and moves through the people who are involved and willing to participate in God's plan. Simply put, this is the makings of many a trainwreck. As I said, folks look to certain people rather than to God for direction. The assumption being, God is working through them, not you or me. Or, dare I say us ...all of us. Paul knew he worked for God and with the people of God. Paul put his ego in check before the will of God and he expected others to do the same. In society, some of these folks may have been the movers and shakers of their community, but in the church, the teachings and testimony about Christ reigned supreme. I must admit, like you, I favor certain preachers and academics as my go-tos when I want to hear a message or get input on an issue. That is normal, we all do it. But, I keep this text in mind when doing so. God doesn't have favorites. Are my favorites those I like for various reasons? Yes... Do they say what I want to hear? Yes... Again, it's not wrong to seek them out, just acknowledge what you are doing. They may be right, but do the work to confirm your findings with God. It may take a while, but stay with it. The journey will reveal the width and depth of the issue (Ephesians 3: 16-19). When we use our go-tos, or esteem someone above the rest, we miss the journey, and maybe, ...deep down, that was the point. We go with what they say as a way of not doing the work needed to find the truth. In closing, think about this for a moment. God esteemed you worthy of the sacrifice God made through Jesus Christ. You, the person next to you, the person halfway around the world are all the same and beloved by God. Is that how you see yourself? God does.
Pray with me.., Holy God, Your grace, Your love, is overwhelming. You get us through everything. Help us to focus on You and what You do through us and those around us. Be with our family members, bless them according to their needs and bless this church so we can be the people you want us to be, in Jesus' name, Amen.
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
