Favor

If you are reading this on the day of release (Monday), it’s not the most favored day of the week. But every day is special. Let’s take a look and see what Jesus (God’s word) says about favor through Words of Encouragement. Be careful though. No showing special favor.

A Lucky Clover or God’s Favor?

Let me quickly explain the picture. The belief is that if you find a four-leaf clover, luck will come your way. As a kid, I often looked for these rare clovers because I needed some luck! Really, as you know, it’s not about luck. The myth is that luck brings us some kind of favor. When really it is about God’s favor. His Grace.

Is This Fair?

Favoritism is unfair, right?  It’s not fair to favor one person (or day) over another.  This would mean you are saying that someone else is not equal to another in some way. So you favor them over the other. This is socially unfavorable.

No favoring your ‘favorite’ team. And even more so, no clapping or verbally encouraging them. It’s not fair to encourage or favor one person or team over another especially if no one else favors the other. This is not fair.  You are showing favorites and this makes others sad and upset. And no showing favor even if it’s your own kid. That’s not fair either.  Your own kid is not to be considered more favorable to you than another kid you don’t (even) know.  After all, they are all winners in spite of their level or lack of effort. 

Based on this definition, I vote that this word be removed from the dictionary! 😲 After all, God doesn’t have favorites! Or does He?

Acts 10:34  NKJV

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.’

Romans 2:11  NKJV

For there is no partiality with God.

Here, we are talking about God’s saving grace. He desires that everyone would come to the knowledge of His saving grace and live and walk in His presence. He shows no favoritism here. But let’s take a deeper look.

If you are a parent of more than one child, do you have a favorite?  You don’t show partiality, right? Lexi is our only daughter of four children. SHE will be the first to tell you that she is our favorite child.  And Lexi, I do have to say that you ARE our favorite daughter!  As parents we always joke about that, right?  Be careful to never reveal, if in fact, you do have a favorite. That would not be good.  😊

2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV

The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…

A Perfect Heart

Let’s put that into layman’s terms. A perfect heart here doesn’t mean a perfect, faultless life. It means someone who is loyal, devoted, and faithful. This kind of heart is always ready to receive the good things God’s grace provides.

Let me put it in Parent Terms. My kids aren’t perfect (nor am I). That doesn’t change my love for them. I love them fiercely. And when they respond to me, communicate with me, and connect with me it warms my heart, I am ready to pour favor out upon them.

Favor Needs Activated

Does this mean I don’t favor them otherwise? Certainly not. It just means that the favor is there. And when they connect with me, then my favor for them is ready to be released.

Examples…

• The Isrealites (old Testament). How many times did they turn their back on God? And time after time, when they repented (turned back to Him), He showed them great favor.
  
• When I asked Jesus to forgive me, to come into my life as my Lord and Savior, His favor was activated and I experienced His saving grace. Nothing I could do to earn it. But I had to activate it by aligning with His word.

A Few Things To Keep In Mind About Favor

• When we respond to God with a loyal and devoted heart, desiring His purpose to prevail (Pro. 19:21), and we are faithful, God’s favor will be upon us.
• I believe this comes back to our motives aligning with His will (more on that in other blog posts). We are His reflection. We very well could be the only “Jesus” others see.
• So He gives us favor, grace, and the power and leading of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this through our everyday-walking-around-kind-of-life.

God Has Your Back

Let me say that it is okay to favor others. It is natural to favor our kids, our teams, and others that we know. Parents get out of hand and get too competitive and lose their Emotional Intelligence, but come on.  You will always find me favoring my kids over others and getting excited about it at times. I will cheer for my loved ones whether it’s a competitive sport or the game of life.  I got their back. God has mine. And God has yours!

Psalm 5:12  ESV

For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favor as with a shield.

Psalm 84:11  ESV

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Proverbs 3:1-4  ESV

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 18:22  ESV

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

My Awesome Wife Carmen

Okay, so that last one I threw in because I certainly found favor with my wife.  I in no way deserve the wife I have (shhh – points for Scott here).  But because I do have such an awesome wife, Proverbs says I have an extra dose of favor!  😊

Do you know why the world doesn’t like favor?  Because it sets someone apart from others.  Does it make sense now that we, followers of Christ, are set apart?  That’s because God favors us. Not that we earned it. But that we have given ourselves to Christ.  Let me explain in a short and simple way.

It Is Who God Is

He (God) favors the humble, those who have humbled themselves and stand upright before Him, and follow after His ways.  He can’t not favor you.  Why?  Favor is who He is.  It is His essence.  You can’t be in His presence, walk with Jesus, and not be favored.

So Scott, that’s not fair to all the non-believers! 

No, it doesn’t seem to be.  But here’s the deal.  God cannot operate outside of His word, outside of His own boundaries.  Even God, by His own mouth, is bound by His own word.  For Him to operate outside of His word would be contradictory. 

Being In God’s Presence

So, you can only experience God (His favor, blessings, healings, protection, peace…) in His presence.  If you are separated from Him (and we all were at one time), then you are not in His presence, thus you don’t experience His presence or favor.

You don’t have the option to say, “Well, I want what God has, but I don’t want anything to do with Him.”  Outside of His presence, there is no true favor, true blessings, true healing, true protection, or true peace.

Experiencing My Mentor’s Favor

It’s like my mentor.  I have a relationship with him.  Thus, by virtue of the relationship, I benefit from his wisdom, from his favor, from his love.  I don’t understand it, but I accept it and experience these things simply by being in his presence.  It’s not that he doesn’t want you to benefit from his wisdom and favor, you just don’t have a relationship with him like I do – you don’t know him, you are not in his presence.

Note: Due to the favor I have from my mentor, you benefit from that through some of my writings….likewise others benefit from the favor and relationship you have with God.  That’s you and me reflecting on who God is to a lost world so they can know Him as we do. And that they would experience the hope of eternal life (a never-ending relationship) with God.

Challenge of the Week 

Know God and you have His favor.  And know God and you have His blessings.  Then know God and experience the benefits of His presence.  Realize that you have His favor as a part of the package everywhere you go, everything you do, in your everyday-walking-around-kind-of-life.  God favors you just like (more than) the favor I have for my own kids – they don’t have to beg me for it.  Again, know God and experience His favor!  So be it.