“Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.’” Acts 10:34-35

Father, Help me to see your hand in my life and not to make decisions about how you care about me because of how things are going in my life. Your Father’s heart is always smiling on me and my life even when trouble and discipline come. In fact, help me to see that discipline means that you truly do love me. If there was no discipline, then I would have to conclude that you don’t care about me like a father. Help me to know and to rejoice in this truth, that you have appointed a purpose and a calling for my life, that you have given me gifts that you want me to use. And you have done the same for others, but it may not look the same. I’m sorry Father. Sometimes I get jealous of the lives that other people have or the gifts that others have. I want to be more like them and less like me. In my jealousy I am complaining about the work that you have done. Forgive me, dear Jesus. Help me to rejoice in the way you have loved me. Help me also to rejoice in the way that you have loved others. And then, make my heart like yours, so that as I go out into the world I do not show any sort of favoritism, but treat people with the same love that you have for them. Amen.

The circumstances in each of our lives will be different, but the same God is ruling it all and loving us with his Father’s heart. With him there is no favoritism.