Article: Seek the favor of God and be a bond-servant of Christ | Dr. Deepa Nebu

“The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:28
God has set apart each one of us; even from our mother’s womb, called us through His grace and was pleased to reveal Jesus Christ to us; to seek His favor in our life and to be a bond-servant of Christ. God’s plan has a greater purpose. Our Father in Heaven is a God of purpose. God had a purpose for our life before we ever had a plan for ourselves. Sometimes our plans have to fail, so God’s purpose can prevail. God makes better choices for us than we could ever make for ourselves.
To seek the favor of God is to get the approval, support, goodwill and preference from God in our day to day life. The three Ps for success is Plan, Prepare and Proceed. Finding the agreement from God Almighty our Father before we plan for any endeavors will fulfill the purpose of God in us. Once if we have the support from God all our ways will be successful.
How to attract God’s favor is a big question that comes into our mind? We know that God doesn’t show partiality, but He does show favor. Favor is not love, grace and blessings. Favor is something more. 10 Keys to obtain the Favor of God are:
Love God: Love God with all your heart. Without loving Him we cannot expect to gain His favor.
Love People: Start caring for people as Boaz cared for Ruth.
Hate what God hates.
Give gifts and offerings: Abel’s offering found favor with God.
Be faithful: Noah found favor with God due to his faithfulness.
Be righteous and blameless: Noah and Job was righteous and blameless and found favor of God.
Submission: Esther shows us how submission brings favor.
Be humble and have humility: Esther received immediate care and attention, provision, best place, helpers, assistants and attendants.
Be honest: Joseph found favor with Potiphar because he could be trusted.
Get Wisdom: Solomon says, “For those who find me find life and receive the favor of the Lord.
When Most High God favors us, what is meant to break us, will push us towards a breakthrough. It will make us fearless and fabulous. People will realize the treasure in us. We will find ourselves on top, even if people had thought we were a flop. Walk-in God’s favor and we will be forever lifted up. The favor of God is upon every man who makes an effort to access it.
God wants us to be a bond-servant of Christ that means, we have to serve him without any wages from our owner – God. In biblical terms it is applied to someone devoted to Jesus. Paul, Timothy, James, Peter and Jude all describe themselves as bondservants of Christ. We are free to act within the bounds of God’s will. The goal of the bondservant is to serve; we should serve voluntarily with commitment to Jesus.
Despite proclaiming the message of freedom from sin in Jesus Christ, we have to be dedicated to Jesus as our own master. The service to the Lord is not that, we could leave the master for another as an employee who could leave for another job.
Six Character Traits of a bondservant are:
Commitment – Commitment is an internal act, an act of heart and mind of dedicating one’s self to something.
Love – Love of Christ should constrain one’s self.
Longsuffering – Having or showing patience in spite of troubles.
Patience – The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.
Endurance – The ability to endure an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way.
Steadfastness – The quality of being resolutely and unweaving.
A Christian is free and independent in every respect, a bond servant to none. A Christian is a dutiful servant in every respect, owing duty to everyone. Enjoy the life as a bondservant, “My life is not my own, to you I belong, I give myself, I give myself to you.” Let this be our prayer and submit us as those who give up to the will of our savior and master Lord Jesus Christ.
If we strive hard to hunt seeking God’s favor throughout our life, surely we will be approved for his glory and will pay way for the men around us to glorify God through us. Let the angel of the Lord address us the “highly favored”. As Paul the apostle warned us, let us fear that our running or had run should never be in vain. Our life should be an epitome for others so that our Father in heaven will be glorified. This is what He wants and hopes for.
The purpose of our life is to seek the favor of God and to be a bondservant of Jesus Christ. Beyond measures we should extremely be zealous for what we are called for, let us submit ourselves to preach what we received without consulting any flesh and blood. Jesus Christ will rescue us from the present evil age according to the will of God and father. God has a perfect plan for our life. Nothing can stop God’s plan for our life. God’s goal in all the changes we make is that we become more and more like Christ. Life isn’t about finding ourselves; it’s about discovering who God created us to be.

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