James 2:1
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”
Favoritism. As a grandmother, I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, BUT... last week, one of the grands guessed my age to be 41. That grand just might be my favorite! That’s a fun story, but there is another, and I have some regrets about it. It took place a quarter-century ago on a cold, wet, sloppy day, and my four kids, ages five to ten, were not responding well to cabin fever. Their behavior was off the charts, and three of the four kids had either spent time standing in the corner, been scolded, or been grounded. At the end of the day, the one child who made it through the day without issue or at least without getting caught was now being teased for being mom’s favorite, to which I replied, “Yep”. And from that day forward, that child still carries the title of “mom’s favorite” among their three siblings.
Is it even possible to keep from having favorites? Partiality and favoritism are part of our human nature. We have lots of friends, but a few best friends. We have people we like or respect, and others we deeply love and admire. Our actions tend to reflect our feelings, which is why James’ words are difficult to apply authentically to our lives.
James' message in this one verse is vital. One verse. One. Take notice of who it’s not addressed to. It’s not addressed to politicians. It’s not addressed to the human resources department. It’s not even addressed to the general population. It’s addressed to “my brothers and sisters,” and, as a reminder, this is to believers in Jesus Christ. James' goal was not to address social, societal, or cultural problems, but to remind us that those things have no place in the body of Christ.
Our human nature will always want to play favorites. We need to treat everyone with equal honor and respect regardless of their appearance, prestige, financial portfolio, or status, and when we don’t, it’s a sin. There’s no place for favoritism in the heart of God, and there’s no place for favoritism in the heart of His people, and therefore, there’s no place for favoritism in the church.
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”
Favoritism. As a grandmother, I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, BUT... last week, one of the grands guessed my age to be 41. That grand just might be my favorite! That’s a fun story, but there is another, and I have some regrets about it. It took place a quarter-century ago on a cold, wet, sloppy day, and my four kids, ages five to ten, were not responding well to cabin fever. Their behavior was off the charts, and three of the four kids had either spent time standing in the corner, been scolded, or been grounded. At the end of the day, the one child who made it through the day without issue or at least without getting caught was now being teased for being mom’s favorite, to which I replied, “Yep”. And from that day forward, that child still carries the title of “mom’s favorite” among their three siblings.
Is it even possible to keep from having favorites? Partiality and favoritism are part of our human nature. We have lots of friends, but a few best friends. We have people we like or respect, and others we deeply love and admire. Our actions tend to reflect our feelings, which is why James’ words are difficult to apply authentically to our lives.
James' message in this one verse is vital. One verse. One. Take notice of who it’s not addressed to. It’s not addressed to politicians. It’s not addressed to the human resources department. It’s not even addressed to the general population. It’s addressed to “my brothers and sisters,” and, as a reminder, this is to believers in Jesus Christ. James' goal was not to address social, societal, or cultural problems, but to remind us that those things have no place in the body of Christ.
Our human nature will always want to play favorites. We need to treat everyone with equal honor and respect regardless of their appearance, prestige, financial portfolio, or status, and when we don’t, it’s a sin. There’s no place for favoritism in the heart of God, and there’s no place for favoritism in the heart of His people, and therefore, there’s no place for favoritism in the church.
Posted in Devotional