Love and Favor

I’ve wrestled for a long time with the idea of unconditional love. You’ve heard us say it your whole life — we love you unconditionally, meaning no matter what you ever do, our love for you will never change. That’s completely true. I love you, and I always will, no matter what.

But I want to draw an important distinction for you — between love and favor — because they’re not the same thing. I can love you unconditionally and completely, and yet you may or may not have favor with me at any given moment. And it works both ways.

Here’s what I mean. If you’re disrespectful, unkind to the people you should honor, careless about staying connected to your family, sloppy with your responsibilities, or you get yourself into trouble — I will still love you with everything I have. But you may not have my favor. And favor comes with real, tangible things: trust, freedom, opportunities, help when you need it, the benefit of the doubt. Lose favor, and some of those things quietly go away. Earn it, and doors open.

That’s the key truth: love is unconditional, but favor is earned. And you’re earning or losing it every single day — with me, with your teachers, with other adults, with everyone whose respect matters. The way you treat people, the way you handle your responsibilities, the way you carry yourself — it’s all quietly building or spending your favor with the world.

This works with God, too, in a way. His love for you is boundless and unconditional — but Scripture is full of the blessings and favor that come to those who walk in His ways.

So earn favor — with those you love and even those you don’t. Love is a gift. Favor is a harvest.