Christian Devotional – February 1, 2019

Favoritism is judging others. If we are giving preferential treatment to some people and not to others, then we are judging them and determining our actions based on that judgment. Read James 2:2-4.

In James’s time, there was a problem. People would see wealthy individuals coming to the church meeting and would give them nice seats in great places, and they would see poor people come in and would give them the leftovers of where to sit. The idea or the thought is that the church hoped and expected to receive more money from the rich person then they did from the poor person so they gave the rich person better things. It’s amazing, but I’ve seen the exact same thing happen in today’s churches!

Money isn’t the only thing that we give preferential treatment to people for. James’s point is that we are being judges and assuming that one person has greater worth overall to the church then the other person. According to God, that just is not true. Each person is brought into the church for specific purpose and reason, and should be valued and respected as such.

Who are we to judge whether a person’s status or gifts to the church is more important than another person’s? We are not to be the judges of who is greatest in the church. We are to love and respect and treat everyone as a child of God, for that’s what they are. Have we become judges over something we were never meant to judge?