“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. —James 1:12-18 (NLT)

What would life be like if we knew, deep into our innermost core, that we are God’s favorite? Would it not motivate us to do things we otherwise might not ever consider possible?

One of my favorite authors, Ted Dekker, addresses this question in one of his more recent novels, The Bride Collector. I enjoyed it immensely. Dekker explores this theme of favorites in a chilling and incredibly visceral story of a serial killer bent on murdering young women by draining their blood and then making them up to appear beautiful, to be presented before God as His favorite bride. The story’s climax stirs up the question, “what would you do if you knew that you are treasured?” While this post was not intended to be a plug or review for the novel, I highly recommend it as I churn out a few thoughts before I go to work.

I think it’s a commonly-accepted idea that we humans are all searching for love and acceptance. It’s reflected in most TV shows, movies, and songs. Why is being treasured so important to us? I believe that it is because when we are treasured, we are changed inside and out.

We are desperate for being valued in this way. It plays out in our ambitions. It plays out in our relationships. It plays out in our fantasies and dreams. There is not one aspect of our lives that is left untouched by this primal instinct, a driving need to matter and find what matters.

Why else would we cast aside meaningful relationships and temporary pleasures to pursue careers and advanced degrees, if not for some greater goal? Why else would we cast aside those careers and advanced degrees for the admiration of one man or one woman, if not for some profound sense of belonging? Why else would we endure the hardships of life, or perhaps try to prematurely end our lives to escape those hardships? We long to be cherished, and when we feel like we aren’t, we despair.

The book of James begins with words of encouragement to the Jews to endure through the seasons of great trouble. James writes that God promises a great reward for those who love God and persevere – “the crown of life.” James then goes on to remind his readers that God is not the source of evil. Instead, He is the source of everything good and perfect. He is constant, without any element of fluctuation. And He chose us to be His favorite.

I believe that this reminder serves to motivate us. A person who knows in his/her core that he/she is God’s prized possession lives passionately! Our thoughts are turned toward His, our desire is to please Him. All of our actions become an overflow of the Love that was first directed towards us in Jesus Christ.

A somewhat obvious illustration of this is played out in a young couple in love. A man will put aside all other things in his life that he once considered valuable (games, friends, etc.) to impress and woo the woman he loves. Similarly, a woman thinks about nothing else but the man who treasures her. Their lives are irreconcilably intertwined (perhaps in an unhealthy manner, but that’s a different topic for another day), and their lives are marked by the affection they show for each other, both in deed and in feeling.

Throughout the Bible this same illustration is used to describe how our lives should look, as a result of God’s choice to make us His prized possession and what happens when we focus our attention on Him and His incredible grace to us. How does knowing that you have been chosen as God’s favorite change you?