Favored

Did you know that you are favored? “Charis” is a Hebrew word that means blessed, favored, graced……I was challenged yesterday to remember when I first realized that I am blessed, loved and favored by God. God is desirous of drawing us into a relationship in which He can bless us with His everlasting love. Our faith opens up the blessings that flow into our lives from God. We are blessed to be a blessing. We have been blessed because we are loved by God and we have the privilege to share what God has given to us.

My favor is not earned, it is a free gift that is available to all through belief. In the Old Testament, faith in the one true God, Yahweh, deemed a man as righteous, and in the New Testament it is faith is Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of all mankind. I must remember that my belief and faith is proven by my obedience.I show my trust in God by consistent obedience. Delayed obedience is actually disobedience. So my challenge is to show my true faith by trusting in God’s plan for my life in every situation, in every relationship, in every trial and especially when I am waiting. A life of faith is a process. We conquer one challenge only to find another opportunity to wait and trust right on the heals of the last one. My character is refined and strengthened as I wait on God and I must not panic when the process seems longer than I expect or harder than I feel equipped to handle.

Being favored does not exempt us from challenging times in our lives. Being favored equips us to be able to handle a time of drought or famine. Famine in the Old Testament was a time that God was testing a man’s faith and a drought was an opportunity for cleansing, a challenge to dig a deeper well. We actually do not know what we truly believe until we are hungry and thirsty. When we are faced with the challenge of a health crisis or loss of a job or a relationship that has become difficult through betrayal or misunderstanding, or any other problem, we must remember that “when our faith is tested, endurance has a chance to grow, so let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:3

You are FAVORED! Go and share the blessing of faith with someone who doesn’t yet know they are favored.