Having an advantage is great! Knowing an insider is nice. Having a lawyer, accountant, chef, or contractor to help us is nice. Cut through the red tape, cutting the line, getting the deep discount is sweet.
It is wonderful to know somebody is looking out for you. Favorful friends are a comfort. You know all you have to do is call and help is there. And who better to be on the other side of that call than The Almighty!
Charis or “grace” means favor, that which gives joy, pleasure, delight, loveliness, graciousness.
I remember when our family attended the Brownsville Revival. We knew someone. We had favor. When we arrived for the 7:00pm meeting, there were people lined around the block. People waited all day in the Florida sun for a seat that evening. Before we arrived the building was at capacity, outside. We walked past a thousand people.
Let’s think about this in the other direction. Each of us is good at something. It might be cleaning, or computers. It may be you are available to drive someone, or make a delivery. You may be able to help someone fill out a form. What is easy for us is enjoyable. When a close friend needs exactly what we do. We volunteer to help them. Afterward, you may refuse payment because your friend was in need, and you enjoyed helping them. Helping them made you feel good. That is gracious of you to help.
Why does it make you feel good? Because we are acting like our God, our Father. He is gracious to His loved ones.
Now take this a step further. Can you receive such help? You have to receive to make the process joyful for everyone.
2 Timothy 2:1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
God wants to pour His grace, favor, benefit on you. Are you going to let Him? It takes faith because it seems unfair that He gives us uneven advantage.
Are you going to embrace God’s advancement of you, or are you going to resist?
Many Christians waste the opportunity of God’s advancement out of laziness, rebellion, or fear.
Could you imagine being offered an advancement in working pay and turning it down? Could you imagine being offered to fly a roomy first-class seat, but turn it down for a cramped coach seat?
Jesus paid the price for you to walk in joy, eternal life, visions, dreams, power. It has been paid. What a terrible waste to not live in His Grace.
The real result of living a life of God’s benefits is overflowing praise. The more you live in the glory, grace, blessings, the more the praise will spring up out of our hearts!
-Blessings.