Do you ever wonder if God actually has favorites?
Intellectually, we know that’s not true. God loves us all the same.
But there are those times… and I’m guessing we all have them … when we wonder why it seems that some people receive more of his favor than others.
We may even struggle with why people of no faith seem to receive abundant blessings when those who love and serve God barely make ends meet. Where is the justice? It doesn’t feel fair when co-workers or neighbors who are non-believers take trips to Europe, buy new cars, or purchase cabins on the lake when the faithful go without extras so they can tithe back to the Lord.
In our personal writing journeys, we may have moments when we question why one writer gets a contract after pursuing publication after two years when another has worked hard for ten and continues to receive rejections. Or why one author gets a much larger advance than another.
Our envy … our questioning God’s love for us … robs us of our joy. As we compare our blessings—or what we perceive to be the lack of—we can begin to sound and feel like whiners. We look like children complaining, “Dad loves you more.”
Instead of looking at all we’ve been given, we focus on what we don’t have. But as a Psalm states, that can change. “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11 NIV).
The reasons behind why some are blessed more than others may never be explained in this lifetime. We may have to wait years to get that coveted publishing contract, great reviews, and large advances while friends seem to keep moving ahead of us down the road.
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
Our job is to trust God’s love for us … his timing and knowledge of what is best for us … and wait, patiently.
Listen to the song “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller and enjoy …
~ Dawn
