Love Will Bring Favor

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”-Proverbs 3:3-4 (NIV)

It seems so cliché to say, “All we need is love”, but I feel like that phrase is so true right now. We have so much hatred, violence and pain in this world that people are beginning to question the future.

Perhaps, the people questioning the future should be looking at how they are spreading love in order to be a part of the change for the future?

Love is a significant force and can bring change to lives of many, but we have to look at our hearts and figure out if we truly hold love or if it is just a nice thing to think about.

The verse placed at the beginning of this post is from the book of Proverbs. This book was primarily written by King Solomon. King Solomon was the son of King David (you might know King David from the story David vs Goliath), and Solomon was the wisest king to have ever lived. He was considered to be the wisest king ever mainly because when God told him he could request anything and God would give it, Solomon asked for wisdom. So, God gave him incredible wisdom and allowed him to lead wisely with great wealth and power.

So, of course, Proverbs is filled with incredible wisdom that carries into today.

Now, back to discussing the verse at the beginning of the post, the NIV uses the words “love” and “faithfulness” in Chapter 3, but the New American Standard Bible uses the words “kindness” and “truth”. I like both versions and the latter is a little more clear about what Solomon actually means.

Love is a word we use often in our everyday vocabulary, unfortunately kindness is not. Which is why This is why I feel like love is a word that is often misunderstood or not practiced enough because people don’t fully grasp what it looks like to love each other.

Kindness is the key to favor! When we open the door for another person, stop driving (if safe to do so) in order to let someone cross the street, put ourselves aside for the needs of another, etc., we show kindness.

I heard a story of a little boy who has decided to hand out toys to people who are not smiling. It’s his goal to bring a smile to the face of those individuals. He is spreading love through a kind gesture. 

Why aren’t we doing more of that?

When we embrace kindness (love) we begin to embrace each other. We recognize people as a part of humanity, not as stereotypes or flash judgments. When we are kind, we knock down barriers and walls that are built due to people being treated unkindly for the majority of their lives.

Let’s look at the idea of “faithfulness” (NIV) or “truth” (NASB) and try to understand what that means for us. When we live in truth, our actions are sincere. We aren’t doing these acts of kindness to gain fame or notoriety, but because we truly care about others. Our kindness and love is a fruit of the truth we carry in our hearts.

If we truly desire love and peace in this world, then our words and actions will constantly reflect that message. If we speak peace, but promote violence through hurtful words or deeds, then we do not hold a true desire for love to win.

When kindness/love is a true desire of our heart and is written in us, then people will take notice. People will want to be close to peace. They will want to be close to genuine love and respect. They will want to be a part of a movement that is walking in truth and living up to what they speak.

Our world needs love. It needs truth. It needs people who will truly walk with a desire to bring kindness and hope into a dark place in order to create a brighter future.

May we be a light to the world and shine bright in truth and love.

Peace and blessings friends.

QUESTION: How can you show love to someone you wouldn’t normally show love to today?