How Do You Become God’s Favorite Child?

I love my pastor and his family. That is a such a blessing to be able to say that. Jeff Denton brought his unique blend of wisdom, geekiness, humor, grace, leadership, Biblical truth and pastoral care to Wylie, Texas several years ago. Waterbrook Bible Fellowship will never be the same and that is a very good thing. Our church has four amazing and gifted pastors on staff with Jeff as the Lead Pastor. Check it out if you are churchless in Collin County.

You never know what Jeff will say or post online. He is totally out there as a pastor, husband and dad. Recently he shared this exchange with one of his teenagers.

“All it takes to be my favorite child is obedience.”
“Well, I guess I’ll never be your favorite then.”

I don’t know which one said that but I am sure it could have come from either J.J. or Amelia. I know that Jeff said that with his tongue firmly in cheek and whichever child responded with a sly smile.

What I have come to see in the Denton family and our Waterbrook family is something radically different from that playful exchange. The truth of our community and any healthy church community is that being the favorite comes from something other than our performance and obedience.

It has nothing to do with our performance. It has everything to do with Jesus performance for us.

I am a recovering legalist so this has been a struggle for me. I wrote this in Stay about what Jesus has already DONE for us.

We should not be surprised that people respond positively when they are told how much they matter. More important, we matter to God. His Word is full of affirmation for those who choose to trust Him.

To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12, NLT

You are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. 1 Peter 2:9-10, The Message

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
Ephesians 1:4

We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15, ESV

Jesus calls me His friend. Even when those around you are failing to fill up your affirmation bucket, you can still go to Scripture and find out how God feels about you. Is there a more important affirmation than that? When you believe that your heavenly Father recognizes your worth, it gets easier to find things to affirm in others. How can I suffer from a poor self-image if this is true? Jesus calls me friend, for goodness’ sake!

(Reprinted from Stay with Permission of Tyndale Publishing House)

I am a friend of Jesus. I am His favorite when I obey and I am His favorite when I don’t obey. It is so hard for me to believe that His one way love toward me never changes. His love for me happened long before I even knew my desperate need for a Savior.

But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, NET)

When I can begin to wrap my pea brain around that amazing truth then I want more than anything to be obedient. It is a complete paradigm shift from my early teaching. Now I serve in obedience out of gratitude and joy. Before I tried to be obedient to avoid punishment or loss of my very soul. What a difference to believe that at the Cross Jesus made me (and you) His favorite. No fine print. No strings attached.

How do you become God’s favorite? If you are a follower of Jesus I have some really good news. You already are.