Faith Over Chaos

There’s a kind of competition that unfolds in my family—not the kind with trophies or scoreboards, but the kind that makes you laugh and reflect. It’s playful, persistent, and oddly insightful.

When my children were little, they’d race to the door the moment I got home, each one determined to be the first to wrap their arms around me. It was pure joy—every single day felt like a celebration. That simple contest of love filled our home with giggles and squeals and the kind of warmth you carry with you forever. Well, at least as long as the tackle didn’t knock me flat. Some days I barely made it through the door before being ambushed by little arms and big love. It was chaotic, hilarious, and absolutely sacred.

Now they’re grown—some raising little linebackers of their own—but the spirit of competition hasn’t faded. They still scramble to be the first to wish me Happy Birthday (my daughter claimed victory this year), and they joke relentlessly about who’s the favorite. I don’t have a favorite, of course—but the teasing never stops.

And in all this lighthearted rivalry, I’m reminded of something deeper: God doesn’t play favorites either. His love isn’t earned by being first or best—it’s given freely, equally, and abundantly. Just like I delighted in every hug, God delights in each of His children. No race required.

For God shows no partiality.” —Romans 2:11 (ESV)

No favorites. No first-place hugs. Just equal grace.

But let’s be honest—sometimes it feels like God has favorites. Maybe it’s that one woman in your Bible study who seems to have a direct line to heaven. Or the pastor’s wife whose house smells like cinnamon and sanctification. Surely God hears her prayers first, right? If you’ve ever felt like God’s favorites must be the ones with perfect quiet times and spotless kitchens—guess what? So, if you’ve ever felt like God’s favorites must be the ones with perfect quiet times and spotless kitchens—guess what? He’s not looking for perfection. He’s looking for presence.

The woman with the color-coded prayer journal? Loved.

The single mom whispering a prayer between dishes and diapers? Also loved.

God doesn’t rank us. He welcomes us.

Here’s the truth: God doesn’t just love you in general. He loves you specifically. Personally. Intimately. He’s not scanning the crowd for the most polished worshiper—He’s calling you by name.

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” —Isaiah 43:1

That’s not favoritism. That’s family. And that’s the beauty of Eden Thinking. It’s not about earning your way back into God’s good graces—it’s about remembering you never left His gaze. Eden Thinking invites us to return to that garden-space of intimacy, where shame doesn’t get the final word and mistakes don’t disqualify us from love.

Because the God who calls you by name doesn’t flinch when you mess up. He doesn’t shift His affection to the woman next door just because she remembered to defrost the chicken and read Leviticus before breakfast. His love isn’t a competition. It’s a conversation.

Helping you find peace in the garden again— where your name is known and your heart is safe.

If you’ve ever felt like the spiritual second-string—like God must prefer the woman with the spotless kitchen and the uninterrupted quiet time—these questions are for you.

1. What “spiritual competition” have you found yourself caught in lately?
2. How might God be inviting you to step out of it?
3. How do you respond when you feel like someone else is “more spiritual” than you? What truth can you speak over that feeling?
4. What would change if you believed—really believed—that God calls you by name and delights in your presence?
5. Where have you mistaken performance for intimacy in your walk with God?