Playing Favorites
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. Acts 10:34-35 ESV
Peter, a Jew, had been raised to believe that all Gentiles (non-Jewish peoples) were unclean. That is, the Gentiles were not acceptable to God; only the Jewish people were His chosen ones whom He loved. Cornelius was a non-Jew who wanted to believe in the one true God and His Son, Jesus. Peter was shown in a vision that God wanted all the world to believe in Christ, not just the Jews. Cornelius and his household thus became one of the first Gentile believers through Peter’s witness.
God does not play favorites. He loves and accepts all people without distinction. As His ambassadors we are to model this love and acceptance. We cannot show prejudice and favoritism if we are to be sincere followers of Christ and leaders in His Kingdom.
- God loves all people and does not show prejudice. What do the following passages say about God’s love for the whole world? — John 3:16; Titus 2:11; 1 John 2:2
- As disciples of Christ, we are to model God’s love and acceptance to all people. What is said in the following passages about our love and acceptance of others? — 1 Timothy 5:21; James 2:1,9
Question to ponder: What’s the difference between prejudice and strategic priorities when allocating resources in your leadership?
Passages for further reflection: Leviticus 19:15; 1 John 4:13-21
Developing Kingdom Leaders - Tom Yeakley 