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Grace Doesn’t Play Favorites

By James Langston

How many times have we looked at someone—someone from our past, someone we used to know—and silently thought, “They’ll never change.”

Maybe we’ve heard their name whispered in conversations, remembered their actions from years ago, or carried wounds they once caused. And so, we settle it in our hearts: they are who they were. Full stop.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: when we make people prisoners of their past, we dishonor the grace that set us free from ours.

Jesus didn’t just come to save the “almost good enough.” He came for the lost, the broken, the publicly shamed, the morally bankrupt—and yes, even the ones we’ve already written off.

Grace, by definition, is undeserved.
Mercy, by definition, is unfair.
And salvation, by its nature, is shocking.

If we’re honest, some of us struggle not with the idea that God saves—but with who He saves.

The Mirror of Mercy

Think about it: if God, through His mercy, redeemed you, why couldn’t He do the same for them?

Do we believe in a grace that transforms? Or only in a grace that applies to people like us?

One of my mother’s favorite sayings was:

“When you get to Heaven, you’ll be surprised not only by who’s there… but by who’s not.”

That statement used to stir something deep in me. It reminds me that the Kingdom of Heaven won’t operate by our checklists or our assumptions.

The first will be last. The broken will be crowned. The thief on the cross will be seated beside the King.

God’s grace is not portioned out by performance. It is poured out by His love.

Let Go of the Ledger

You and I don’t keep the books. We don’t determine who’s worthy.
Our job is not to tally sins but to extend hope.

It’s hard sometimes. People hurt us. They disappoint us. They let us down in spectacular fashion.
But grace asks us to believe that even the most unlikely hearts can be softened… because ours once were, too.

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified…”
—1 Corinthians 6:11

A Word for Today

Who is that person you’ve mentally written off?
What name still brings up resentment, disbelief, or doubt?

Pause today and ask:
“Lord, if You could change me… help me believe You can change them, too.”

Final Thought

There’s no VIP line at the gates of Heaven.
No ranking system. No divine scoreboard.
Only this:
🕊️ Grace doesn’t play favorites.
It just keeps reaching… and saving… and rewriting stories.

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🕊️ If this post encouraged you, share it with someone who's been on your heart.

🏷️ Tags (@):

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🔖 Hashtags (#):

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#WhoWillBeThere #HeavenAwaits #ForgivenNotForgotten



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