By Beat Baingana Bisangwa
Favour is approval, preference, support, or liking for someone or something. It is an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual. Favour causes preferential treatment. It is like an extra-ordinary force that accords you what you wouldn’t get by ordinary means without restraint! It is the opposite of reproach in every way and the two are always fighting to dominate destinies!
There is a new song from Elevation Worship that came out during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is titled – “The Blessing” and it has a line in the bridge that reads;…..may His favor be upon you…. It has amazing inspiration power.
Of late, the subject of favour has become of interest to me. As I study and understand it to overcome reproach and thrive, I see how, in hindsight, favour has followed me despite efforts to the contrary by the devil! I also see how it is sometimes the only way forward.
I see how favour lifted me from meaningless faith as a catholic to salvation at an early stage, making me the first one to receive Christ in my family; I see how it picked me from being a broke graduate to becoming an officer in the national bank of Uganda. I left the bank after 10 years and sat home for 6 years, from which favour catapulted me into a high level job. I became an executive director of a high level initiative and my life changed over-night. I could recount so many times that favour has accorded me amazing opportunities despite opposite forces.
I also see a lot of examples in the bible where numerous people benefited from God’s favour – Mary Magdalene who was lifted up to be the first person to witness and proclaim Christ’s resurrection despite her disadvantaged past; Paul an enemy of Christ became the ardent apostle, Mary – a teenager – became the mother of Jesus, Joseph found favour with Potiphar, David found favour with King Saul etc. Abraham, Noah, Jacob etc. God was behind all these favours. None of these beneficiary of favour did anything extra-ordinary to qualify for it.
I look at my family – the Baingana family, with so much going against us, yet the favour of God positioned us for blessings and influence without human or logical justification! We are told that Grace is unmerited favour! Scripture is awash with amazing scriptures about promises and display of God’s favour upon Israel and various other people. Can you identify incidences where God has bestowed favour upon you on your life’s trajectory?
Exodus 3:21-22
God declares: And I will grant these people favor and respect in the sight of the Egyptians; therefore, it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. But every woman shall [insistently] ask her neighbor and any woman who lives in her house, for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and daughters. In this way, you are to plunder the Egyptians [leaving bondage with great possessions that are rightfully yours].” (Exodus 3:21-22, AMP).
This passage is about how God’s favour upon the Israelites would end their bondage and transform them from being needy to abundant possession that they had not worked for directly.
Favour is about doors getting opened that no man can shut; being in places that you know you wouldn’t be in ordinarily; random amazing opportunities that no one can sabotage; favour will provide divine connections that will usher you into your destiny; it will enable the restoration of the years that the grasshoppers and locusts ate – the wasted years of life! Favour takes you from the background to the forefront; from being deeply indebted to enjoying abundance; it makes you an overcomer of battles that you are not even aware of; it ends reproach and establishes desirability and preference!
Joel Osteen once said, “One touch of favour is worth more than a lifetime of labour!”
Psalms 44:3, “For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.”
Mary found favour with God and was marked for distinction – God did for her what He has not done for anyone before (Luke 1:30); Jesus had favour with God and men (Luke 2:40); Jesus increased in favour (Luke 2:52); the early church had favour with the people and many were added to the church (Acts 2:47; Romans 14:18). Ruth was nobody; but her faith in the God of Israel brought her into favour with Boaz.
Favour is better than riches. Favour will mark you out for distinction; favour will cause men to accept you (Romans 15:30-31); favour makes people to have delight in you; favour makes people to be pleased with you and what you say; favour brings increase; favour gives you the inheritance. Let us denounce reproach and tap into God’s favour by believing and proclaiming it daily upon our lives.
We denounce reproach and declare favour upon our lives; upon our marriages; our children; our households; our extended families; our churches; our neighborhoods; our nations; upon Africa!
Amen!
Annex: More Scripture References
1. Psalm 90:17
“Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
2. Psalm 84:11
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favour and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
3. Psalm 5:12
“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield.”
