(Colin Barnes)
I hope we’ve all had a good summer break. I love the seasons and rhythms in life, and the slower pace of life in August, as many of us holiday, is always welcome. I have enjoyed a family camp in Cornwall, and as I write this am sitting in Soul Survivor surrounded by around 6000 young people! (Just one wonderful fruit of the good things that the Lord has been doing in this land in recent years)
I hope we’ve all had a good summer break. I love the seasons and rhythms in life, and the slower pace of life in August, as many of us holiday, is always welcome. I have enjoyed a family camp in Cornwall, and as I write this am sitting in Soul Survivor surrounded by around 6000 young people! (Just one wonderful fruit of the good things that the Lord has been doing in this land in recent years)
Whilst on holiday in Cornwall I like to fish at least once, a childhood pastime that still draws me – provided we can eat what we catch. This year Rachel caught the biggest fish of the day, a beautiful (tasting) ling. She out-fished us all, including some highly experienced fishermen who’d brought all their own gear! I was proud of her and thought to myself, she experienced favour today. She got more than she deserved. She hadn’t invested any money in expensive equipment or spent years learning the skills required to become an expert. That got me thinking about our Father’s love for each of us and His determination to treat us better than we deserve, a concept called grace which is closely linked to favour.
Things can seem pretty daunting when we’re relying on our own strength to see us through. But when we know that the Lord is looking to bestow His favour on us, to give us our heart’s desire, to treat us better than we deserve and that He’s working in all things for good, hope rises in our hearts.
Now that doesn’t mean that things always work out exactly as we’d hoped, but it does mean that over time we experience His goodness in our lives leading to thankfulness, joy and fruitfulness. Even when bad things happen to us, He is able to bring good out of them, to bless us, despite what others may have intended. You might call this, the ‘abundant life’ that someone once promised us!
In all His dealings with people, God’s intention has always been to bless us (to favour us) so that we can, in turn, bless those around us. That’s what He told Abraham and that’s what He is saying to us today. But here’s the thing, Luke tells us that Jesus grew in favour with God and men (Luke 2:52) and Peter commands us to grow in grace, the ability to receive more than we deserve (2 Peter 3:18). We can actually grow in grace and favour.
As I was praying for us all, I felt that this is what Father wants for you and me in this season, that we grow in our ability to receive His favour, to walk in more of His blessing. Not so we can be selfish, but so that we may be a greater blessing to those among whom we live. So, how do we grow in favour with God? Well, I believe it is by following our Community Aims: Looking on the face of Christ, Loving everyone we meet and Living like heaven is near. Let’s endeavour to worship Jesus constantly knowing we become like what we admire. Let’s do good wherever we can, treating others better than they deserve, and let’s expect God to answer our prayers and work wonders through us. We cannot earn His favour, but we can make the channel through which we receive wider. You see grace (like forgiveness) flows into our lives like a river, or more accurately, like water through a tap, the more we give away the more we will receive.
Luke tells us that now is the acceptable time of His favour towards us (4:19). So let’s determine to walk in that favour and grow in it, just as Jesus did.
