It’s been hard for me this season to not believe the lie that God is a partial God, a God who displays favoritism. When I look at others and the ‘blessed’ lives they supposedly live, I wonder why mine doesn’t look the same or anywhere close to it. My past couple of weeks with God have consisted of me wrestling with Him regarding whether or not He favors others over me. The clear answer is always a resounding no. But, my heart argues with it because my circumstances don’t reflect or support this.
“For God shows no partiality.”
Romans 2:11 (ESV)
“For God does not show favoritism.”
Romans 2:11 (NIV)
“For there is no respect of persons with God”
Romans 2:11 (KJV)
Scripture confirms that God is an unbiased God towards His children. He’s a loving Father, Protector, and Shepherd, among His many titles. Though what happens when we look at His other children and deem them more blessed than we are? How do we reconcile with what we perceive as favoritism from Him? This constant comparison has been a source of my grief lately. I don’t and can’t understand why – it seems – others have it easier.
“And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.”
Matthew 14:20 (ESV)
Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
John 6: 11-12 (ESV)
In Matthew 14 and John 6, Jesus performs the miracle of feeding the five-thousand. Though Matthew doesn’t expand on how, John tells us that a boy at the gathering that day had brought five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus took these loaves and fish to multiply them into pieces that could feed all who were present.
I studied this passage regarding Jesus’ ministry to obtain a better understanding of God’s giving nature and His unbiased heart that serves us equally. My initial observation was that God made sure everyone at the gathering had as much as they wanted. It didn’t matter if one person wanted a second plate and another wanted a third or fourth plate; they all received as many servings as they wanted. That distinction was important for me, because it helped me reflect on why comparison steals our joy. Comparing myself to what others have as opposed to what I have is like only wanting a serving of two plates at this gathering with Jesus and getting upset that another received a third plate and another a fourth plate. This comparison takes away from feeling gratitude because instead of focusing on what I have and wanted, I become upset that others received more. I find that we rarely seem to care when others receive less than us.
In my hypothetical example based on this passage, my comparison keeps me from experiencing God’s goodness in my needs. When I focus on how many plates other people wanted to be served at this gathering, I take away from the feeling of gratitude of knowing God provided exactly the number of plates I wanted to be served. Not that He sold me short by only giving me two plates instead of the three or four that others received.
This brings me to my next point. Am I asking God for what I truly want or am I limiting myself based on what I assume He’ll give me? In the passage, Jesus told His disciples to gather all the leftovers so that nothing may be lost after everyone at the gathering had “eaten their fill”. There were more than enough servings at the gathering, the people were stuffed, and they had leftovers to bring home. God in His nature gives us more than we pray or ask for.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
When I’m feeling envious towards another person’s blessings or I’m perceiving that God is giving more to them than He is to me, I have to ask myself this:
Am I asking God for what I truly want or does the comparison reflect that I wanted more and didn’t think that He would provide it so I didn’t ask?
Comparison can reflect that I want more and because I don’t think that He will provide it, I don’t ask. So, when another receives that which I truly wanted, I think God has sold me short on something I never asked Him for. Comparison also reflects that I want more, I feel guilty for wanting and asking for more, so I don’t ask. Either way, comparison reflects that I want something and I don’t go to my Creator to obtain it. This is a very common feeling in the Christian body – to feel guilty for wanting more. So much so that many Christians have turned to resources such as the “Law of Attraction” and “Manifestation” all because we won’t ask God or we perceive He won’t do for us.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10 (ESV)
God promises us abundance. Why is it that in the faith, we focus so much more on trials, tribulations, testings, and even temptations, and shy away from the abundance of blessings that God wants to give us? I think it’s because we’re afraid of asking for ‘too much’ from God and when another person asks and God provides for them that which they’ve asked for, this has a way of shaking up our faith. In Jesus feeding the five-thousand, He made sure that everyone who came to Him was satisfied with their individual needs. He exemplified what He plans to do with our daily lives. The passage comforts me in this assurance that God shows no partiality. The question I need to ask on my walk with Him is whether or not I’m coming to Him with my fullest needs. Am I asking God for what I truly want or am I limiting His ability to give to me abundantly?
Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is it to you? You follow me!”
John 21: 22 (ESV)
Just as Jesus rebuked Peter when he compared himself to John, I feel God rebuking us when we compared our lives to others, because this comparison leads to us feeling like God shows favoritism. We know it’s impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11) and that faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of God (Romans 10:17), so faith requires me to trust and believe His word for my life. God says He provides for me abundantly. God says He gives more than I can ask, think, or imagine. It’s an act of faith to ask God for more, if I want more, and to trust that He’ll provide that third or fourth serving plate. Our impartial God desires to bless us all abundantly.
Sincerely,
Anne
“But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”
Galatians 6:4-5 (ESV)
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is.”
1 Chronicles 29:11 (ESV)
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.“
1 John 5:14-15 (KJV)
Daughter in Waiting Ministry 
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