James 2:1 makes it clear: “believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”

But what is favouritism? It’s showing preferential treatment to someone based on status or outward appearances.

James gives the example of two men coming into a meeting. One has fancy clothes and the other has “filthy old clothes.” If the man with the fancy clothes is treated well but the man in rags isn’t, he says that we’ve “become judges with evil thoughts”! (verse 2-4)

According to James, favouritism is un-loving.

But we still do it sometimes, don’t we?

Maybe we think that if we show preferential treatment to someone who is financially well-off that there might be something in it for us. ‘Maybe they’ll do us a favour,’ we think, ‘or tell other people to think more highly of us.’

But this is trusting people more than God to provide for us and guide us.

Not showing favouritism includes listening to someone and being respectful—regardless of how much money they do (or don’t) have, and regardless of what they can (or can’t) do for you.

They say to never judge a book by its cover. According to the Bible, we shouldn’t judge people by their cover either.

By Matthew Ruttan

—Thankful? If you consider Westminster your church home (that’s the church I pastor), or even if you’ve been ‘visiting’ us online during this pandemic, contact me to send me a picture or short video of you filling in the blanks: “I’m thankful for… because…” We’re going to put the responses together and share them during our Thanksgiving Sunday service on Oct. 11, 2020. (The deadline is Oct 9 at noon).

–Today’s devotional is based on my most recent sermon: “Soft edges and firm centres.” Click here to watch on YouTube. 

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.