I have a friend who sports a t-shirt that reads, “God loves everyone, but I’m his favorite.”
Probably more true than we can fathom – for every one of us.
I do not believe that God’s love can be diminished or diluted. One person does not gain it at another person’s expense. Nor can one person have less of it because someone else has more.
It’s infinitely available to all of us – collectively and individually.
So to think of myself as God’s beloved does not mean that you are not. To accept that reality for myself does not require me to exclude you from it. And that has huge implications for the way I live my life, the way I interact with the Father, and how I treat you. I do not need to compete for my place in the Father’s heart. Nor do I need to protect it from competitors. It is mine to savor, to enjoy, to appreciate.