James 2:1 "My dear brothers and sisters,[a] how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?"
Favoritism is the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.
In the book of James 2:2-4, the writer gives us a scenario about a rich man and a poor man. How would we treat a poor man that enter the church building and how would we treat the rich man? Would you give the rich man a better seat than the poor man? What would you do?
I don't however want to just focus on "rich and poor". I want to take it a little further. How do we treat people on the whole. Do we treat people that are more capable of doing things or more famous, or more gifted than others in church different from those that are not? or are now learning. Do we as Christians "favouritise'' persons in church because of their abilities, wealth, gifts?
Look at it this way, we all are teachers. We have a class of 30 students. Now one of these students parents are wealthy. They provide lots of things for the classroom parties. Things like chubby, snacks, food etc. Do we as teachers treat this child different just because we can get something from them? Do we? No we don't. Another child runs for the school he comes 1st in any sporty event and this is school events. But do we as teachers treat this child different because of what they have? No we don't. Other students looking on will see this and they will question it. I was in a school and I was trying to help one student in particular with spelling, because of his disability. To the other students it looked as though I was favoring him, but it was not so. I had to explain to them that it's all about helping him and if they want I can help them to, all they need to do is ask.
Would you like someone to treat you differently in the church?. When you walk in someone hugs everyone, except you? How would you feel? Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Think about it. Jesus says "Love your neighbor as yourself." Do you want the best for yourself OF COURSE WE DO! But what about the new person who has now come in church? DO YOU WANT THE BEST FOR THEM? DO YOU TREAT THEM THE SAME? You offer your good friend tea......BUT you didn't offer them? How do they feel?
We are having a special function for a friend we give that person our 100% best. Best looks, best food, best decorations. But another persons comes, one who we don't talk to on regular basis, asks for the same function. Do we downgrade it? Do you say okay....it's not our friend so we don't give them the best? What do you do? What do I do?
We don't realize things that we do. We do things unconsciously and we don't see that people are being hurt and wondering, why are they treating me different. This is why it is important to always pray and ask God to show us the things that we do to hinder others. We are Christians, we are suppose to be portraying Christ. Christ didn't "favouritise'' anyone. He didn't tell them, I will only die for those that followed me. Now that would have been scary, because if most of you are like me and didn't grow up in a Christian home. Most of us were out there in the world, doing wordly things. But CHRIST STILL DIED FOR ALL OF US. He didn't treat us differently from each other. He didn't say okay...well Matthew I will die for you....but Judas because you betrayed me I will not. He didn't treat us differently. He treated each and everyone of us the same. We too should.
Today I pray that......God shows us what are some things that we do to hinder others.Lord show us the things that we need to change about our self. Help us for father to treat everyone the same. It doesn't matter if they can sing well, dance well has a lot of money or don't have any at all. Lord help us to co-operate with each other and help us to treat them as I would like to be treated with the 100% best !
In Jesus name I pray Amen.
Favoritism is the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.
In the book of James 2:2-4, the writer gives us a scenario about a rich man and a poor man. How would we treat a poor man that enter the church building and how would we treat the rich man? Would you give the rich man a better seat than the poor man? What would you do?
I don't however want to just focus on "rich and poor". I want to take it a little further. How do we treat people on the whole. Do we treat people that are more capable of doing things or more famous, or more gifted than others in church different from those that are not? or are now learning. Do we as Christians "favouritise'' persons in church because of their abilities, wealth, gifts?
Look at it this way, we all are teachers. We have a class of 30 students. Now one of these students parents are wealthy. They provide lots of things for the classroom parties. Things like chubby, snacks, food etc. Do we as teachers treat this child different just because we can get something from them? Do we? No we don't. Another child runs for the school he comes 1st in any sporty event and this is school events. But do we as teachers treat this child different because of what they have? No we don't. Other students looking on will see this and they will question it. I was in a school and I was trying to help one student in particular with spelling, because of his disability. To the other students it looked as though I was favoring him, but it was not so. I had to explain to them that it's all about helping him and if they want I can help them to, all they need to do is ask.
Would you like someone to treat you differently in the church?. When you walk in someone hugs everyone, except you? How would you feel? Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Think about it. Jesus says "Love your neighbor as yourself." Do you want the best for yourself OF COURSE WE DO! But what about the new person who has now come in church? DO YOU WANT THE BEST FOR THEM? DO YOU TREAT THEM THE SAME? You offer your good friend tea......BUT you didn't offer them? How do they feel?
We are having a special function for a friend we give that person our 100% best. Best looks, best food, best decorations. But another persons comes, one who we don't talk to on regular basis, asks for the same function. Do we downgrade it? Do you say okay....it's not our friend so we don't give them the best? What do you do? What do I do?
We don't realize things that we do. We do things unconsciously and we don't see that people are being hurt and wondering, why are they treating me different. This is why it is important to always pray and ask God to show us the things that we do to hinder others. We are Christians, we are suppose to be portraying Christ. Christ didn't "favouritise'' anyone. He didn't tell them, I will only die for those that followed me. Now that would have been scary, because if most of you are like me and didn't grow up in a Christian home. Most of us were out there in the world, doing wordly things. But CHRIST STILL DIED FOR ALL OF US. He didn't treat us differently from each other. He didn't say okay...well Matthew I will die for you....but Judas because you betrayed me I will not. He didn't treat us differently. He treated each and everyone of us the same. We too should.
Today I pray that......God shows us what are some things that we do to hinder others.Lord show us the things that we need to change about our self. Help us for father to treat everyone the same. It doesn't matter if they can sing well, dance well has a lot of money or don't have any at all. Lord help us to co-operate with each other and help us to treat them as I would like to be treated with the 100% best !
In Jesus name I pray Amen.
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