You Have Found Favor With God!

This morning in my scripture reading I was in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, where the angel visits Mary. There is lots of theology and a lot at stake for many in the story of the virgin birth which creates a lot of tension. Setting that aside, a phrase jumped out at me:

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (Luke 1:30)

"Do not be afraid" is a typical (and, I  imagine, necessary!) salutation when someone is approached by God or an angel of God in scripture. However, I love the way it is followed up: "for you have found favor with God."

From the context, there is nothing that indicates a reason why she found this favor. It seems that God just chose to bestow it it--and she found it. It was such an encouraging word to me this morning. I have found favor with God. I have found favor with God! There is nothing I have to do to earn it. There is nothing I can do to lose it.

The same is true for you. You have found favor with God. "God," as The Shack  author William Paul Young puts it, "is especially fond of you." So you don't have to be afraid. No matter what happens today, no matter how bad you screw up, no matter what your coworkers say about you, never forget:

Do not be afraid, because you have found favor with God!

How would the world be different today if every child of God chose to live in that truth? What if each of us lived as if we had nothing to prove, nothing to grasp, no mask to hide behind? Therein lies the power of the Gospel.