Mark Mulaza Kaira, a Zambian, popularly known as Macky2 is one of the biggest secular musical artists in the world who has never forgot God His Creator.
He has just released a life transforming song titled “Favor” full of thankfulness to God. He posted the song’s link with these words: “FAVOR…It Is Not by My Strength but It Is God Who Is Constantly at Work in Me. God Supports the Believer. But it’s The Believer’s Responsibility to Do What He Has Been Called by God to do.”
My friends and family, lets capture together critical and major life transforming principles from this timely song. Just few thoughts about the word ‘Favor’, Favor is demonstrated delight. The favor of God can be described as “tangible evidence that a person has the approval of the Lord.” When we favor someone, we want to be with him or her. We delight in him. We connect with her in a way we don’t connect with everyone. We usually favor people who also favor us. In the same way, God shows favor to the ones who delight in and do what He has called them to do, in line with Macky2’s words and those who are humble and repentful in spirit, and who tremble at His word. To be perfect toward God means we seek His favor more than we seek the favor of people, even ourselves. Favor is closely related to grace. They know the favor of God. You can only get God’s favor by believing in Jesus Christ. God seeks out those who love Him and love His commands so that He can bless, guide, and protect them with unstoppable favor. This does not mean that everyone who is prosperous or healthy has found favor with God nor does it mean that those whom the Lord favors will never suffer difficulties or face challenges. Many people in the Bible had the Lord’s favor but also suffered hardship. Hero’s such as Moses, Joseph, Mary, Noah, Daniel, and Joshua were favored by the Lord, but they also underwent difficulties like each of us. Those who are favored by God know that God is with them and that nothing can happen to them apart from His good purpose. They have His ear as they walk through dark valleys and know that their struggle to remain true to Him will not be in vain. When we have the favor of the Lord, we rest in quiet confidence that our sins are forgiven, we are within the plan of God, and that He is there for us at all times. We walk with God as with our closest friend. We begin to see and appreciate the little blessings that God provides us with that we often took for granted.
The Lord invites us to seek His favor and be thankful. Macky2 has shown us to be thankful about everything we have because all good things we have come from God and belong to Him. When we seek God’s favor, we humble our hearts before Him; seek Him for Himself, not just for the blessings He gives; and arrange our lives around loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We seek first His kingdom and righteousness. Finding favor with the Lord keeps our lives and thoughts pure because we desire to please Him more than we desire to please ourselves. The first thing we have to understand is we do not earn everlasting life. We don’t earn the glories, the joys and the fullness of life that is in the Reign of God. That is always a gift to us, and we have to take it beyond that. Everything that we have is a gift. We must have an attitude like that of Macky2 in his song, that God has blessed us by his favor and grace. In our life, we could not be here for a second unless God sustained us at every second. None of us earned our life, none of us continues to earn our lives. It is all a gift from God by His favor. All of creation is a gift of God by favor centered on love. None of us can earn that, and if we think we have earned it, we have made a deadly mistake that must be repented over now. We underestimate what God has given us thinking it’s all about us. The world itself, and all the blessings that are on our earth: God gave that to us. We never made it or earned it, and our individual lives are a gift from God alone. Macky2 taught us in his song “Favor” that our abilities and everything we have is a gift from God. We have to have that attitude that I don’t own what God has given to me e.g. money, house, car, education, talent, wife, husband, children, job, business, abilities, gifts etc. It’s God’s gift and all about God and for His glory. You have not earned it. I can’t earn it. It’s a gift from God.
So when it comes to our material goods, how do we avoid greed? I think it starts with the attitude that all that I have does not really belong to me. It belongs to God, and because it belongs to God, it belongs to His global life transforming mission and everyone. My friends and family, lets continue thanking God about everything and use everything to please God and help others for His glory. God favors us so that all the nations can be favored through us.
Written By
Lazarous Mankel Chongo (JIFAN)
