SCRIPTURE:
'My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
James 2:1-4
OBSERVATION:
Growing up I was my grandma’s punahele, her favorite. So much so that til this day my cousins still bring it up. For a long time I felt I deserved this honor; I was the one making sure to spend time with her, I was the one always doing just a little bit more to gain her affection, I was the one excelling is sports and music. My cousins felt, and I think still feel, that I was given favor because I was just a little better, that my grandma’s favoritism was due to my actions and accomplishments. Today James is warning me against this mindset, favoring one of the other based on appearance and accolade.
How often do I take this mindset into important areas of my life? Do I favor one child over the other when one is more obedient or gets better grades? Do I cozy up to those who can advance my agenda and neglect the broken and lonely? Do I allow the good-skilled ones to get away with things I hold the good-hearted ones accountable to?
APPLICATION:
God has called us to fairness not favoritism, to be pono not punahele minded. James is reminding me that fairness doesn’t lie in the average of good and bad, but rather in the act of compassion and grace for all, good or bad. As decisions are made, relationships formed, lines drawn, I need to filter it all through compassion and grace.
When dealing with people this needs to hold double true. I can’t slide to far left or right. Harsher consequence for those in higher regard, while letting those on the fringe of the window of acceptability off easy doesn’t equate to fairness. Instead, it feeds the monster of inequality and creates an even bigger divide.
There’s truly only one Judge and King. And He examples time and time again His compassion, His grace, His love for what we deem as the high and the low. As I view things and people through Jesus’ lens, I begin to see the beauty in all, not just the one with the fresh SZ’s and clean kicks. Giving everything and everyone a fair chance at love, acceptance and all the other things that give value and worth.
I see a leader of people and a man after God’s own heart, not an adulterer and murderer.
I see the rock on which God built His church, not the man who denied him 3 times.
I see the Savior of the world rather than a bastard child born in a manger.
Like everything else in the pursuit of righteousness, if I simply follow His example and pursue His likeness, I move farther away favoritism and a perverted justice and closer and closer to a love that is true and fair.
PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for being the perfect example. For living out the words You’ve spoken and never ever giving up on me. May I live my life with righteousness as Your chosen under Your favor and grace. Amen
