Good Monday morning...

… and the week before us ends with the third birthday of my favorite granddaughter!  As you pause to gather your thoughts about how wrong it is to have favorites, especially grandchildren, as many of you know, we only have one grandchild, and she happens to be turning three years old this week.  I used to tease our girls with the line that they were my favorite X-year-old daughter… with each one being over a year apart I never crossed the line of favoring one child over another.

When searched online, favoritism is defined as “the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.”  It is the “unfair” that gives us pause when a “favorite” is announced.  I have been trying to figure out ways to contribute to my world in a way that closes the gap between divided groups in my sphere of influence.  There is often a moment of decision that determines whether my efforts will close or widen the gap between groups.

A silly example of this is on the Pickleball courts, and a “newbie” needs a player to join them.  Seasoned players don’t like to use up their playing time with the less-abled players, so a sort of favoritism is exercised.  I am not always aware of the opportunities to close this gap, but I do try to try to play with newbies since it wasn’t that long ago that I was a newbie myself.  The effort is usually worth the time as it promotes a comradery that spills over to life outside of the courts.

From grandparenting to Pickleball playing, it is my desire to be an ambassador for Christ in every situation.  In a world dominated by thoughtless favoritisms it is worth my time to pause and consider how I might share His generous love with all people.  It is very easy to love one grandchild, I might even say, she is the easiest person I have ever had the opportunity to love!  But to stop and think about every opportunity that presents itself to be more like Christ and less self-centered (which is where the core of favoritism exists) I know that pause is critical to my becoming more like Him.

All teasing aside, it is important for us to show God’s love to the world.  He loves unconditionally and without favoritism.  Stop and think about it…

For His glory,

Pastor Mike