Made for More: 30 Days of Experiencing More Life, Love, and FreedomSample

Day 25: Favorites Are Great

You can tell a lot about a person by their favorites.

• Favorite movies
• Favorite books
• Favorite quotes
• Favorite songs
• Favorite foods
• Favorite holidays
• Favorite Bible verses

There’s a reason something becomes a favorite. Maybe your dad introduced it to you, or your grandmother. Maybe it surrounds the great memories you have of a special holiday or vacation. Maybe it reminds you of a time when life was full of wonder and warmth—when the goodness far outweighed the hard.

Like you, I’ve got favorites too. And I’d love to share one with you today.

Romans 8 makes my top 5 list of favorite passages in the Bible. Yes, I know it’s a stretch to claim a whole chapter—but that’s what we do when something really matters to us, right? We expand the borders to fit in just a little more.

Why do I love it so much?

That’s the beautiful thing about favorites—they often speak to something deep within us. Romans 8 speaks to how God sees me, and how far He’s gone to declare my worth. All my life, I’ve wanted to be seen, to matter, to belong. And this chapter assures me that I do.

Paul writes:

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.
—Romans 8:29–30 (The Message)

Bottom line: Jesus became like me—He became sin—so I (we) could become like Him—glorious. That’s the great exchange. That’s a declaration of worth. And that’s one of God’s favorites. A freedom package to bring His sons and daughters home, home to celebrate together the Life and Love of the Kingdom.

A Prayer to Consider: "Thank You, God, for declaring my worth through Jesus on the cross and inviting me not only to be free, but to live gloriously free. Teach me the ways of Kingdom freedom, that I might overcome and become who I truly am—how I’m known in heaven."

What are a few of your own favorites—books, verses, songs, foods, or holidays? What do they reveal about your heart and what you hold dear? Who introduced them to you, and what relationships are connected to them?

As you reflect on all this with God today, consider asking Him:

Holy Spirit, what themes or longings are woven through these favorites? How might they reflect my true heart and the unique glory You’ve placed in me?

Jesus, in this great exchange You made for me, where are You inviting me to press in, take hold, and trust more deeply in what You’ve done—and how You’re inviting me to live?

Father, is there one phrase or sentence that feels like it’s just for me today? Would You help me hear it clearly and understand why it matters?