My journey with the Lord:

This August I will celebrate my 10 year anniversary of following Jesus. Our culture loves to celebrate our birthdays, but what I love to celebrate is my “new birth day.” So before you right now is actually a 10 year old—in the Lord at least haha! And when you think of it that way, 10 years of truly walking and knowing Jesus seems like nothing, like a blink of an eye, but at the same time it really has already felt like a lifetime—my life these past 10 years has been more than I could have ever imagined. My life has been full of life, love, and purpose. While also being full of disappointment, unknown, and challenges—but through it all, I have journeyed in knowing & following Jesus to the ends of the Earth. 

That First Year

When I was 16, I was radically saved by Jesus and then 3 months later was baptized. The best way I can describe it is I truly went from death to life. I went back to my high school, and old friends and classmates and especially my teachers did NOT recognize me: the way I talked, the way I dressed, what I was posting on socials, and most of all—they way I had become obsessed with talking about my relationship with Jesus. So my last year of High school turned into truly being just this whirl wind of getting to know Jesus, reading my Bible for the first time, experiencing spiritual warfare, and just trying to even comprehend who this God is that I encountered. I was trying to just take it all in, just me and Jesus. And really it was just me and Jesus—thats all I wanted to do and all I wanted to think about, was me and Jesus.

That next summer, nothing had changed (praise God) I was still madly in love with Jesus and I couldn’t have been happier that the flame hadn’t gone out. But was stronger. At the Christian camp I attended, Thursdays were and still are “missionary day,” where every message is shared by missionaries who were visiting home and sharing about their life serving the Lord in other countries. If I am being honest, this was in the past such a boring day to me, I’d fall asleep in the pews or be dozing off on my phones or chatting on the side with my friends. But this year, much like the last was different. 

This particular Thursday in 2016, a woman began to share her experiences serving the Lord in China. She shared how she taught art and shared the Gospel through teaching and creativity. Ways I had never heard of. She shared her story and honestly its such a blur—I don’t remember much of what she said but I do remember her challenging the congregation to ask the Lord in that moment if we too were being called to serve the Lord abroad. Next thing I know, my 17 year old self sprung up from my seat, my heart was racing, and I knew that this was the most foolish yet most assured thing I had ever professed, the clarity was as clear as the night Christ called me to be His own! 

To the Ends of the Earth

How the timeline goes: 10 years ago I started following Christ. 9 years ago, I started following Christ to the ends of the Earth. Finding a purpose that was much bigger than just my “me time with Jesus,” even though that 1:1 time of knowing Christ was the foundation(and still HAS to be!). And it is the foundation for which I could then even begin to imagine a new life in Him that was to serve him fully, for the rest of my life. It was another light switch moment. I was called to to live for Him, I was alive to follow Him, and to share the Love and saving power of Christ with as many people as possible and not just in Michigan, but to America, and not just to America, but to every nation, tribe, and language that he would lead me to! 

The Proof is in the Pudding

So, a decade later, I can confidently share that when the Lord calls you, He then calls you to follow Him to the ends of the Earth, and He means it! Since then, I have served the Lord in over 25 countries, across Northern and Central America, Europe and the Middle East. At 17 I went to Tijuana, MX to complete a Discipleship Training School (DTS). It was there that I was propelled, supported, and broken down in all the best ways into missions. Yet still knew it wasn’t my time for ministry yet (I was to enter into an extended pasture season. I just needed to become a servant, follower, a sponge, and soak up as much Truth and Word as possible. I needed to work out my theology and have space to wrestle with the Truth before I was to go and do all He called me to).

At 19 I moved to Chicago to be trained more in the Word. Which later would lead me to study the Bible where parts of the New Testament took place, in Israel, Turkey, Italy, and Greece! And to my surprise, I ended up meeting my husband on that final trip to Greece! 2 years later, we got married and started serving and making disciples together in metro Detroit, abroad, in Dallas, and now we are taking extended time in Greece, learning the Greek language, building out or Tent Making call, serving alongside other missionaries and what God is already doing in the nation of Greece, Eastern Europe, and the middle east! 

If you would have told me at 16 all that God would do in my life I wouldn’t have believed you nor even have wanted to do those things. But 9 years ago, after I received that call and clarity to follow and serve Jesus to the ends of the Earth— I’m pretty confident 17 year old me would have believed it, because He had spoken it, and in as short as a year of knowing Christ, I knew that when He spoke something or when His Word said something, it was true.. 

There are so many things I could say when it comes to my life so far following Christ, but one thing I felt I needed to share, is after 10 years of knowing Christ, I am 100% confident that “I am His Favorite.” Every season, year, experience, and challenge that passes in life, it always brings me back to the reality that this is all way too good, “I have to be His Favorite.”

Am I really His favorite?

So how can I say that? Well, unfortunately I am NOT His favorite. Scripture actually says that the Lord has no favorites. That the Lord loves all His people, that His character is Good and Just and that He shows no partiality. 

Scripture says:  God does not show favoritism. Several other translations say “there is no partiality with God.” God does not practice discrimination with people, favoring one above another. All of us have equal opportunity to receive God’s help and blessing. God loves everyone, but allows us to choose whether to seek Him, or not. Six times the Bible tells us that God does not show partiality or favoritism.

Romans 2:6-11

⁶ He will render to each one according to his works: ⁷ to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; ⁸ but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. ⁹ There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, ¹⁰ but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. ¹¹ For God shows no partiality (Favoritism) .

Acts 10:34-43

³⁴ So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality (Favoritism), ³⁵ but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all),

Okay, I’m not Actually His Favorite

So what scripture teaches about the nature and character of God is that He is so Holy, Good, Just, Beautiful, Righteous, All powerful, all knowing, all things perfect—and because of His character, He cannot show favorites as humans choose favorites. God does not favorite someone just because they are smarter, more talented, more good looking, have more money, have better plans, or whatever else you can think of.

The Bible teaches us that the Lord shows favor to the righteous, and He will deal with the unrighteous. He shows favor to the things that are good, things that he describes in the Word that we are meant to delight in, or to do, or even when a person “hates evil” the Lord actually tells us that is what it means to fear the Lord, to hate sin, evil, and unrighteousness! He shows favor to those who love his Word, His commands, His plans, His will, and His ways!

So in short, God blesses, multiplies, does more that someone could ask or imagine when they follow him. Being obedient to Christ is simply doing what He says to do and not doing what He says to do. It’s being in relationship with the Living God and living out His Word every day. This is what it looks like to be “Gods Favorite.”

So how could I say earlier that after 10 years of knowing Christ, I am 100% confident that “I am His Favorite.” Every season, year, experience, and challenge that passes in life, it always brings me back to the reality that this is all way too good, “I have to be His Favorite.”

I feel like The Lords favorite because ever since I started following Him, received His Holy Spirit, learned His Word, Heard His voice and was obedient to do what He says, Life just seems to be just so good. And not to say I haven’t had challenges, experienced hardships, struggled in college, been exhausted, tempted, sinned, life felt unsure, death of loved ones, or seen things not go my way—I am not saying my life doesn’t experience the hardship of living in a fallen world and still having to live in an imperfect (prone to sickness) human body and mind—but what I am saying, when you follow Jesus, you experience the fruit of the Spirit and the Spirt of God at work in everything, good and difficult. And when you seek to do good, to follow His word and His ways, you truly experience Immanuel “God with us” because through the Holy Spirit, God is with us. He is with me. And He is with you.

I grew up in a tradition of the Church that when the Gospel was preached, people tended to stop at the cross or the resurrection. Since then, and since learning to read and study the Bible—I have learned that the Gospel doesn’t end in the last chapter of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, It actually continues onto the book of Acts and into the Last book of Revelation. 

Jesus took on all the sin of the world, and became the perfect lamb to be slain for all of sin and death. When he died, he became the fulfillment of every sacrifice once needed. Meaning no longer was there separation between humanity and the Living God. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, and then walked with the disciples for 40 days sharing and teaching them all things about the kingdom of God. He was walking through walls, appearing to the men and women who followed Him in rooms and in different parts of the city, he even appeared to make dinner for his disciples on the seaside of Galilee (I’m SO jealous).

“And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were all written down in detail, I suppose the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”

But what we do know is that after those 40 days, Jesus ascended to the right hand of God, took a seat, because His work was done on earth and he began to prepare a place for us. 40 days after Christs’ resurrection, on the day of Pentecost, He sent His Holy Spirit to be poured out on 120 men and women. This was the birth day of the Church! And from then on until this day today, Christ is with us because He sent His Holy Spirit to fill and seal every one of us who calls on the name of the Lord. As a seal and reminder for now and for later, that Christ will return a second time to put a final end to death and pain and to establish a new heaven and a new earth! And this is the Gospel, and this is what has fueled my life.

Because I called upon the name of the Lord when I was 16, I have not lived a day without God with me. Because He sent His Spirit to be with me and fill me, and to lead me, speak to me, convict me, and to reveal all things to me. This is the greatest gift we could ever receive, that actual Spirit of God, the same Spirit that breathed the first breath into the lungs of Adam and Eve, that shinned upon the face of Moses and lead Joshua and Israel into the promised land, that was trapped in a box in Israel’s rebellion, the same Spirit that rested on and anointed King David, that anointed the Priests and Prophets in the Old Testament, and the very Spirit who raised Christ from the Dead! This Holy Spirit, the Person behind the resurrection power, The Breath, LIVES IN ME and HE HAS SHOWN FAVOR TO ME, because He loves me and man I love Him so much back!

So, I feel like Gods favorite because in everything I do according to His word, He blesses and shows favor, and in everything I do wrong, he shows loving discipline, correction, and mercy, saving myself from well—myself. Being Gods favorite isn’t just something I like to say, It is the reality for the people of God! Gods children are His favorite, but not just me, it’s for all of us, this is actually our inheritance to become “Favorites of God” to receive the blessing to 1,000 generations to be shown blessing in this life and unto the next! Truly, following Christ is followed by love, life, blessing, and so much adventure.

John 17:3 is a prayer that Jesus prayed just before he was given over to be crucified. He prayed to the Father not about the whole world, but about us, those who were His, who wanted to follow Him and were called to be his disciples. And I love what Jesus says in verse 3, he says “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Jesus defined that eternal life is to Know him. To be in relationship with him. Eternal life is to know the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit now and to know them forever more unto eternity! To not fear death, but to hope and know that forevermore we get to be in relationship with the living God! 

How to Journey with the Lord into His Favor

So, if you want to experience Gods favor, this isn’t something you need to work for, or prove yourself in, or even force your way. To be able to declare like I am that I feel like I am Gods favorite because I have experienced his boundless endless love, mercy, favor, blessing, and hope that comes through His Word and His Spirit- to be able to encounter this now like I did when I was in High school, all it takes is truly to let him love you and to lead you!

Scripture says that all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved and then you will be sealed and filled with His Holy Spirit and then over time you will be filled, lead, and receive day after day, season after season, the love of God that then reveals itself as his blessing and favor. IF you follow Jesus and love Him with all of you heart mind, and soul and love your neighbor as yourself and let Him love you fully—then you too will be able to attest to the goodness and faithfulness of God 10 years later because I cannot make this up. It is real. It is the Living God, this is the power of Christ in me and in you to be able to confess boldly the Gospel and the active work of the Lord today! 

I don’t know you but HE knows you and you will learn this on the journey of following Christ that he knows you better than anyone else, and he loves to know you, and he loves to make you feel like His favorite person in the world! 

So how i’d love to end this blog lecto divina style, resting in this passage multiple times (a way to pray the Bible). What that means is a way of listing and praying through scripture. Basically read through this passage 3+ times and then all you are going to do is let the Word just do it work, a verse might stand out to you, a word, or maybe you’ll even get an impression on your heart or a prompting from the Lord to do something. Whatever it is, be filled with faith and the love of God, and know that this passage is permission to know Him, to follow Him, and to experience a life filled with the love, blessing, and favor of God!

Read Luke 11:9-13:

⁹ And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹ What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; ¹² or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

I want to leave you with one more thing, if you believe that Jesus Christ is God, and that by his blood he can save you, heal you, set you free, and if you’d like to follow Him to the ends of the Earth. If you want to follow Him—this scripture literally gives you permission from the very mouth of Jesus to ask, seek, and find Him and most of all to ask Him to fill and seal you with His Holy Spirit so that He can be with you forever even to the ends of the age!

So if that is you i’d love to challenge you to get on your knees wherever you are and ask Jesus to make Himself known to you through His Word and by His Spirit forevermore!! And from there, watch as the Lord works.

In Christ,

Cosette Bredeweg