Uncommon Favour
Ministry & CultureGenesis 39:21
Divine Distinction in a Competitive World
By Matthew (Tolu) Olowoyeye
"But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.",
Joseph was in prison for a crime he did not commit. The charge was false, the justice corrupt, and the circumstances unjust. And yet: the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy and gave him favour. Favour is not dependent on your circumstances being right. It is dependent on God being present.
Insight Notice the sequence in , the Lord was with Joseph first. Then favour followed. Favour is not the primary thing; the presence of God is the primary thing. Pursue proximity to God, and favour becomes the downstream consequence, not a destination but a by-product of abiding.
In a competitive world, ministry, business, publishing, travel, the temptation is to pursue favour directly: networking strategically, performing for the right audience, positioning for visibility. This is exhausting and ultimately fruitless. Real favour cannot be manufactured by human effort. It is assigned by divine attention.
Insight The phrase "uncommon favour" implies that favour which exceeds what the natural situation should produce. Potiphar noticed something in Joseph that went beyond competence. The prison keeper trusted Joseph with things no prisoner should be trusted with. That is favour, something in your assignment that the natural mind cannot fully explain.
Do the work. Serve excellently. Maintain integrity even when no one is watching. And trust that the God who was with Joseph in the pit, in the house, and in the prison is the same God who is with you, right where you are.
Prayer Lord, I do not ask for favour as a shortcut. I ask for Your presence, the presence that Joseph carried in every environment that transformed every room he entered. Let me be someone whose proximity to You becomes unmistakably visible to every person in authority over me. Amen.
Sign in to like, comment, and follow.
Comments
- Be the first to comment.
