God's Unmerited Favor

And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

Acts 7:9–10

There is a significant difference between God’s unmerited favor andfavoritism. God’s unmerited favor is based entirely on Jesus’ merit, and we received it through His finished work at the cross. We did nothing to deserve His favor. It is completely unmerited. Favoritism, however, stinks of self-effort. Individuals who rely on favoritism for promotion resort to apple-polishing, office politics, manipulative tactics, backstabbing and all kinds of compromises just to get what they want.

God has a higher and better way for you. It hurts Him to see His precious children groveling like sycophants just to get ahead in life. If a door closes, so be it! Believe with full confidence that God has a better way for you. You don’t have to depend on favoritism to succeed when you have God’s unmerited favor!

That was how Joseph operated. He depended on the Lord for his success. When Potiphar’s wife kept trying to seduce him to sleep with her, Joseph stood his ground on the firm foundation of God’s unmerited favor. He didn’t go for favoritism by doing what 

his boss’ wife wanted.

Beloved, like Joseph, know and rejoice that it is the Lord who is the source of your blessings and success. You don’t have to resort to trying to win the favor of significant people in your life. It is the Lord’s favor on you that sets you up for recognition, promotion and increase