No Favorites

by Tori Haverkamp

My brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So treat everyone the same.

James 2:1 (NIrV)

Mom said I couldn’t pick out the orange ones.  But I like the orange ones best.

In the summer, before we go on a hike around the lake, Mom makes trail mix.  She always throws in nuts, raisins, and my favorite, M&M’s.  I like to pick out the orange M&M’s and eat them first, but Mom said I couldn’t do that because I was showing “favoritism.” Favoritism means treating one thing, or one person, as more important than another.

Sometimes, when I’m at school or playing football for my team, I pick favorites; you know, the people that are funny or have cool shoes or are great at tackling.  But God says we need to love everyone the same.  He said that He came to save ALL people, not just the cool ones.  People who wear old clothes are just as important as those who wear new clothes.  The kids who look different, act different, or smell different than me are still the apple of God’s eye—just like I am.  If I love these people like God loves them, maybe they will see Jesus by looking at me.

So today when I grab a handful of trail mix, I will remember—God doesn’t have favorites.  He loves everyone the same.  From now on, I’m picking every M&M, not just the orange ones, and eating them one by one. Yum!

Tori Haverkamp lives and writes in Ames, Iowa with her husband and four teenage children.  She loves kids, cats, and hanging out laundry. And she always picks the M&M’s out of her trail mix and eats them first.