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The Favor Factor

by Dwayne Harris  
2/10/2011 / Christian Living

When we hear the word favor in the Christian arena we seem to automatically associate it with those people who appear to be walking in obvious financial advantage, or those who display an outward evidence of physical blessings. Many pastors, in today's market of hunger seekers, have discovered how quickly they can gather a crowd if they will make the promise of undue favor their message of choice; after all, who doesn't desire to be blessed beyond measure? It is this same hope of hitting it big in life that fills the vaults of lottery banking accounts across the country every week.

I must assure you that my purpose in writing this article is not to speak out against physical blessings but to bring clarity to what favor is all about. I truly believe that it is God's desire for us to be blessed; however I feel that we have possibly mislabeled God's favor as something simply intended to satisfy and meet our physical needs. We must learn to keep favor within proper context lest we cheapen God's purpose for it to begin with and in doing so miss out on it all together.

Finding Favor

Let me ask you this question, if God never blessed you physically could you still be a recipient of favor? If your bank account and finances never increased could you still be a recipient of God's favor? The correct answer is yes. We must realize that God's favor is not always seen in the flesh but realized in the spirit. Many of today's Christians are in a pursuit for something that they have possibly already had yet failed to recognize it because it didn't come with a diamond or hood ornament attached.

Many preachers who have appealed to the natural desire to succeed in life have created a false sense of what favor truly is. With so many people declaring favor as something that is determined by outward possessions, we have conditioned Christians to work on acquiring the external factors of life while neglecting the internal things that matter most. We compare churches and ministries not on the content of their work but on the image they can portray. Pulpits have quickly become as competitive as franchise sporting events. After all, we must be the best and most successful so that people will see us as favored above others.

Joseph never succeeded because he was outwardly adorned with a coat of many colors. His true success was God's favor that was upon his life even while being dismissed as one who was the least of them all.

The Purpose of Favor

Surely you have read Mathew 7:7, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and ye will find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." This powerful verse displays God's unending desire to bless us. The only thing we must not forget is that God can only answer things that are according to His will. It's not just a matter of knocking; it's knocking on doors that he desires to open. After all you can only open a door to someone if you're behind it.

If we are going to truly receive favor then we must first understand exactly what it is and what it is not. It is not God's way of lording one person over another, or lavishly blessing one of his children while his other children look on in want and need. Although favor can bring pleasure, it serves a greater purpose when it truly comes from God. Favor is a spiritual advantage for the purposes of expanding His kingdom, not for building yours.

While studying the Bible I have realized that its pages are filled with men and women who have operated under the manifest favor of God to accomplish great feats to advance His kingdom. In the overwhelming majority of these events the favor of God was not displayed as excess provision as much as it was supernatural intervention in the absence of provision. The widow who offered her last meal of grain to the man of God did not in return find her pantries over flowing with substance, but instead had supernatural access to daily provision.

Which of the following do you think is greater, wealth in the hands of the foolish, or a little in the hands of the wise? Realize that God does not have to saturate you with excess resources just to get a job done or to make others see you as a success. God's greatest demonstration of power is not when he operates within the world's views and standards, but when he defies them altogether.

His Favor in Action

Favor is not always in the ability to raise funds but in his ability to forgive debts. It's my 30,000 mile tires running 55,000 miles. It's His protection against the snares and traps of the enemy of my soul. It's the joy in the midst of hardships that can't be explained. It's the peace that's found in midst of the storms of life. If we truly desire favor and the joy of the Lord then we must realize first and foremost that it comes not from what he allows to pass through our hands, but what he passes through our hearts.

If we are ever going to make an impact in this world for Christ we will do it by the leading of his hand, and with a generous portion of God given favor. It might come as God given wisdom coupled with access to unlimited resources as it was with Solomon. It might come as supernatural advantage for promotion despite your enemies' plans as it was with Joseph. It could possibly even be something as simple as a mere stone in the hands of a seemingly un-equipped child standing before a giant. Whatever it is, and however he chooses to manifest it in your life it's still favor.

Desire God's favor, pray for it and seek it with all of your heart. Not blessings, but favor. Not gifts, but spiritual gifting and abilities. Seeking those things that not only make a difference in your life but God given favor that allows you to make a difference in the lives of those around you. The kind of favor that leaves you amazed, when all the dust settles and leaves you repeating Zechariah 4:6, "Not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord." Now that's favor!

Dwayne Harris is the founder of Fresh Outpouring Ministries. He is an emerging voice in the cause of evangelism and has been featured on Christian talk-radio, Christian television, and is a published devotional writer. For more info. visit www.freshoupouring.com.

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