Transcription
We share on flowing in higher favor with God and with men. Luke chapter 2 verse 52, we'll read from the voice version. It says, "And Jesus kept on growing in wisdom, in physical stature, in favor with God, and in favor with others."
One very, very critical factor that will affect you and how far and how well you do in every realm of your life, including your divine purpose in life, is a factor of the influence of men towards you. Relationships are very, very powerful and important. And it is a common saying that when God wants to bless you, one of the ways he does it is to use supportive relationships: destiny helpers, relatives, true friends, and well-wishers. So God uses the goodwill, the support, and favor of people to bless, to help, and to favor you in the journey of life.
Now, when your God-sent helpers, divine helpers, destiny partners in life will often manifest as friends, but more likely as well-wishers. And we are trying to draw our attention to the role of well-wishers in the journey of life. A well-wisher is someone that has goodwill towards a particular person or a group of people. And goodwill is a friendly or helpful attitude towards certain people, countries, or organizations. It means to be favorably disposed toward someone. When you have goodwill, you will consistently wish that person well. You will consistently feel friendly or compassionate towards the person.
Also, a well-wisher is someone who encourages or supports another person, someone who wants you to be happy, to be successful on a consistent basis. And there are some similar words for well-wishers: words like sympathizer, admirer, fan, supporter, follower, disciple, defender, protector, ally, helper. And sometimes your well-wisher could even be called an angel, especially when they choose to operate anonymously, over and over while helping you. Some could be called a promoter, words like a sponsor, financier, an encourager, a friend, a confidant, a lover.
Now, we want to throw light on the word goodwill because of many things that happens in the course of relationship between people. The word love, love, you know, is sometimes corrupted and taken out of its positive context. Many times too, it's safer to use the word goodwill when expressing your love for certain people so that you are not misconstrued by certain people. Goodwill signifies a positive, friendly, and helpful attitude or disposition towards another person. It describes a feeling of kindness, helpfulness, and desire to do good for certain people. Your goodwill will reflect in your attitude. You have this willingness to help, willingness to be helpful to those you have goodwill for.
In Psalm 86:17, it says, "Show me a sign of your goodwill, that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed because you, O Lord, helped and comforted me." Ephesians 4:32, God's Word Translation, he said, "Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ." So when you have goodwill for someone, you'll be compassionate towards the person. You have a friendly disposition. You have a helpful attitude towards the person. Design the best for them. And note this, even when such a person hurts you and you want to give them space, you still will wish them well. You still will wish them well.
Goodwill means favor and kindness, a feeling of approval and support for someone. But take note that authentic goodwill comes from God's grace and mercy. Never forget this. No matter the magnitude, the consistency of what anyone has extended to you in life, always remember that when it is authentic, it is coming from God by the grace of God, by the mercy of God. That is where it is originating from. Favor with men comes from God; it is an extension of God's favor to us.
Goodwill also pushes aside resentment. It counts people down from retaliating against the offenses of those they have goodwill for. And taking it a bit further beyond the individual perspective, there are different types of goodwill.
There is corporate goodwill. There's institutional goodwill, and this refers to the value of a company's reputation, brand recognition, and customer loyalty. And this is usually created over time and is associated with the company as a whole.
Number two, there is what is also called professional goodwill. Professional goodwill is linked to the reputation and relationships of any individual professional, such as a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, based on their knowledge, skills, and reputation in their field. It is usually built over the years, years of experience and trust with clients, and it will always help you as a professional because it will set you apart in the field, attracting more clients and more opportunities.
And then number three, there's what they call is also called as the one way of focusing on personal goodwill. And this is usually associated with the reputation and relationship of an individual rather than the business they work for. You see this a lot with celebrities, athletes, and other public figures who have a strong personal brand. When we were giving other names for well-wishers, we mentioned things like fans, followers. So you can see the connection, and this also has its many advantages. Wherever such persons are, it rubs on usually on the platform, the team, the group, the company that they endorse or team up with. And then just quality, outstanding quality and products, services also generates goodwill.
Now, when God wants to move you higher in goodwill with people, starting from your home, your marriage, friendship, and then well-wishers and the general public, which today now is now being looked at from the global cycle, no longer from the national or regional boundaries. God Almighty will make such person, certain people have what we call a soft spot for you. And having a soft spot for someone manifests in several ways, such as being more forgiving, showing extra care to that person, showing persistent kindness, feeling a deeper emotional connection toward the person. They are signs when someone has a soft spot for you.
One, let's look at First Kings chapter 5 verse 1. Living Bible says, "King Hiram of Tyre had always been a great admirer of David." He was a king himself. Take note. So when people have a soft spot for you, it's not because they need something from you. In fact, you may be the one always gaining from them. He said, "King Hiram of Tyre had always been a great admirer of David." So when he learned that David's son, can you see the extension? When someone has an authentic soft spot for you, it sometimes will also transform into likeness for your children. The person will also almost automatically have the same goodwill feeling towards your children. That is why you see that people's family name opens doors, especially with certain families with which they are allies. So when he learned that David's son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to extend congratulations and good wishes.
Another thing that happens when someone has so much goodwill and possibly a soft spot for you is that it makes them overlook your flaws. It makes them overlook your flaws. They are not endorsing your flaws; they are not encouraging you to continue to repeat your flaws, but it is easier for them to overlook your flaws. So, they'll be more tolerant of you, and they'll be more patient with you. The more you read this, the more you understand how much of a blessing it could be to find a husband that has a soft spot for his wife, and that wife also has a soft spot for her husband. You might be more likely to excuse the mistakes of that person, the shortcomings of that person. You are more likely to forgive the mistakes and shortcomings of that person. It will be easier for you to overlook them, tolerate their mistakes, forgive, pardon, or downplay their shortcomings.
In Proverbs 10:12, Amplified Bible, it says, "Hatred stirs up strife, but love does what? Covers and overwhelms all transgression, forgiving and overlooking another's faults."
Another aspect of having a soft spot for someone is in the realm of vulnerability. You will be more open to the person that your heart accepts, approves, and loves so much. You'll be more open and vulnerable with that person, and this will make it very easy for you to share things even about yourself that you wouldn't share with other people. In Psalm 41:9a, Amplified Bible Classic Edition, he said, "Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, relied on, and was confident." So that closeness makes you, it draws you closer in certain kind dimensions, and then you would begin to share freely with such a person things you ordinarily will not share with others. So these are things that happen with someone you have so much goodwill and possibly a soft spot for.
Note these 10 clues and signs. Note them; it's a summary of some of the things we have already mentioned.
One, you will be empathetic; you'll be compassionate and supportive of that particular person more than you would for other people.
Number two, you will willingly care more, do more, and give more to that person more than you would do for others.
Number three, you would have a particular fondness or affection for that person, often for reasons that are hard to understand or articulate. You feel a great deal of affection for them. You have a particularly strong feeling of tenderness for the person, a tender or sentimental feeling.
Number four, you will like the person a lot. You will like the person a lot, even when they don't deserve it. Even when they don't deserve it, you will like the person a lot, even when they do not deserve it.
And number five, you will express a lot of understanding with that person. You will express a lot of understanding with that person. And everyone listening, you need people that will show you understanding, especially at certain times of your life. People that will show you understanding.
Number six, you would continue to like the person even when they do not behave well. You will continue to like the person even when they do not behave well. And that's why you find that you could be very strict with people on certain things, but when it comes to that person you have a soft spot for, you will easily overlook the person's mistake or shortcoming or even assist them with what is required.
Number seven, you will express repeated forgiveness or pardon of that person's mistake or offense. Some husbands have just forgiven their wives. Some wives have just forgiven their husbands again. Possibly such spouses have a soft spot.
Number eight, repeated reconciliation with that person. Repeated reconciliation. You've seen cases where some you hear somebody vow, "I will never have anything to do with that man," and the next time you see them, they are now together again. Repeated reconciliation with that person.
Number nine, you would express prolonged patience with that person. Prolonged patience with that person, ready to wait. Prolonged patience with that person.
Number 10, you will refuse to permanently desert that person. You will refuse to permanently abandon that person after some time. Whatever was the issue, maybe offenses, disappointing, or whatever, it begins to, like we read earlier from Proverbs, it said love overwhelms offenses, especially with time. So anyone who, even with time, is becoming still getting more hostile to you, that person never loved you. The person never loved you, and the person certainly does not have a soft spot for you.
In Mark chapter 12, we are taught by our Lord Jesus Christ, and he was actually emphasizing what the Lord had revealed earlier to Moses in Deuteronomy, that we should love our God with all our heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. There are distinctions between them. At the end of the day, the battle over your life is a battle for your soul. What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? At the end of the day, the real thing, the most valuable thing about your life is your soul. Is your soul. And when it comes to relationship, deep relationship, it moves beyond the heart to the soul. And one of the ways the enemy will want to get at you is to attack someone or cut off your relationship with someone that the enemy knows you love with your soul. And that is why you hear some people make that expression, "They have killed me." He's alive. She's alive. Why is he saying "They have killed me"? Someone he loves so dearly has been killed, has died.
I pray for you this morning that every attempt by the enemies of your life and destiny to get at you, targeting those you love so dearly, all such attempts will fail in the name of Jesus. The enemy will never snatch your only child. The enemy will never succeed with that precious relationship. The enemy will never succeed in separating you with your destiny relationships in the name of Jesus. The enemy will not take your joy. The enemy will not steal your joy in the name of Jesus. And for anyone in a situation close to this, the Lord grant you an immediate divine intervention before December. The Lord give you a big testimony in the name of Jesus. So shall it be. God will restore for certain people that which the enemy has tampered with. In Jesus name we pray.