FAVOR IS ABSOLUTELY FAIR

A few years ago, the famous Pentecostal preacher, T.D. Jakes preached a message entitled, “Favor Ain’t Fair.”  It was one of the messages at which you find yourself yelling, “AMEN,” high-fiving someone and at times jumping up just to relieve the excitement.  To me it was also one of those messages that a day later found me saying, “Huhhh?”  “Favor ain’t fair?”  Are you saying, “God ain’t fair?”  For years, now, every time I hear someone use this quote, a red flag pops up in my brain and says, “Huhhh?”

I have been blessed to be the recipient of God’s favor in some things but not everything.  I know people that seem to live under the “favor spout” while others have never found the place where favor is poured out.  Soooo, maybe “Favor ain’t fair.”  Except something in me refuses to accept that statement.  If favor ain’t fair and its God’s favor, that would make God not fair.  I decided to find the answer once in for all and opened my Bible.  I found there were men and women who received the favor of God and many who did not.  I also discovered that every single person who received God’s favor had one thing in common; FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE.

Take Noah for example.  Genesis 6:8 tells us that Noah found grace (or favor) in the eyes of the Lord.  Why?  Was it a random choice?  Did God like his name or the family he was born into?  Genesis 6:9 explains why God’s favor rested on Noah and through him allowed life to continue on earth; “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.”  Hebrews 11:7 again repeats, “By FAITH, Noah…..became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”  The Bible records that Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness and I believe that during the years of building and preaching, God gave everyone the opportunity to share in the favor He bestowed upon Noah.  Obviously, no one else obeyed God’s command, so was God’s favor unfair?

 Let’s move on to Abraham.  I ask the questions again, random choice or good family?  Abraham was born in a pagan land to a family who worshiped pagan gods, yet somehow out of all of his family, Abraham knew and believed in the one true God because when he heard God’s voice, he obeyed without hesitation.  Why was Abraham blessed along with all of his descendants?  Hebrews 11:8 answers the question, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.”  Because of Abraham’s FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE, Galatians promised, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”  Because of the favor shown to Abraham, his descendants become “God’s Chosen People.”  We also have the opportunity to share in the promise according to Galatians 3:9, “So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”  Notice there is a condition, FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE.  Is God being unfair to those who are not of faith?

As a mom, I possess the power to bestow favor upon my children, as I choose and when I choose.   Because I love both of my children and would give my life for them, my favor is not handed out randomly or because I find one better looking.  My children are blessed because I love them but at times there is special favor given.  Let’s suppose I give both of them a specific task and only one obediently completes the task.  Would it be fair to show favor to the obedient and the disobedient child equally?  I can guarantee you the obedient child would answer emphatically, “NO.”  My favor would be given in a direct response to their obedience.  We are all favored with the blessing of salvation when we obey the plan God has set forth and become His children.  Is it fair for God to favor those who ignore His Word and through unbelief reject His salvation?

This opens up another question, “I have obeyed the salvation message, I try to follow after God every day, I pray and read His word, yet some receive favor for specific situations and I do not, what more must I do?  Perhaps there is nothing more you must do because it is not the will of God for your life or perhaps it is not yet God’s perfect timing.  Back to being a Mom and Grandma.  I have a 4-year old grandson, Caleb and a 2-year old grandson, Nathan.  I allow Caleb to cut out shapes with a pair of scissors but no matter how much Nathan kicks and screams, he does not get to use a pair of scissors.  Am I being unfair?  Is Caleb more highly favored than Nathan?  Someday, the time will be right and Nathan will get to cut shapes just like his brother.  If I have one son who loves peanut butter cups and another son who loves them but has a peanut allergy, it is not unfair to favor one with a peanut butter cup and the other with something else.  In my superior knowledge and wisdom, I understand that favoring the allergic son with a peanut butter cup would cause great harm; possibly death. 

Many times what seems to us to be unfair or God’s favor resting more highly on others is really the mercy of God preventing us from the very thing that could cause spiritual harm or death.  Paul said in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” It was not because Paul had decided to just settle on less than God’s best or because God had decided to favor others, but Paul could say this because he had total confidence in his knowledge that “all things were working out for his good, that God had a plan for his life and whatever state he was in had to do with the plan of God being fulfilled.

I submit therefore that God’s favor is always FAIR. Maybe, not fair as we would measure it with our limited knowledge, but always fair according to the plan of God.  When we finally learn to submit our actions, thoughts, decisions and our entire life to God we will walk in FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE and rest in the knowledge that God’s favor is ABSOLUTELY FAIR.