Success for 2011

Part 1 -The Favor of God

There are a number of things that are necessary to walk in the blessings of God and therefore see His success. However, to see the success of God we must walk in the principles of God. Too many people believe that learning methods of success is the same as walking in the principles of God. It is not! A heart of integrity must be formed in the heart of a leader and then that leader lives and leads out of that cultivated heart. He will be the same in his private life as his professional life. He will make the same decisions regardless of his popularity and in time these principles will lead him from the shadows of doubt to the light of success. In this series we will deal each week with a different critical element to the success of God or I should say, "success IN God."

Today, we place our focus on the favor of God. The favor of God is that element that is hard to describe and very difficult to understand. Why do some seem to have some favor and others seem to be bathed in it? When the Virgin Mary was confronted by the angel with the news of Jesus, one of the things she was left to ponder was why me? Why am I chosen to this wonderful assignment of bringing forth the Messiah. The angel simply said, "you have found favor with God". Regardless of how it comes, when it comes, success follows. Then of Jesus the Scripture says, "He increased in favor with God and man". To see true Kingdom success in this life, we must have both. We must have favor with God and man. The favor of God comes upon us, it appears to me, not so much because of our religious activity as the secret attitudes of our heart. Man looks on the outward appearance and God looks on the heart. Then that favor of God brings us favor with man. I am not talking about a worldly compromising favor with man. There is a favor that God brings that extends to men.

Religion in it's negative sense causes men to run away while a genuine favor of God upon a man our woman is an attractive thing to those around them. Crowds wanted to be with Jesus because of what he could do for them but there was also this mystical something that caused them to draw near to him. It was the favor of God upon his life.