READING: Jeremiah 22, 23, 26; Psalm 77; James 2
I start today’s devotion with a confession: even though I’ve been in ministry for almost forty years, I still wrestle with the temptation of showing favoritism—and I suspect I’m not the only pastor who does so. We know it’s wrong and preach it’s sin, but we still often gravitate toward those who can offer us the most. In James’ day, one issue was the church giving priority to the rich over the poor. They gave the rich more attention at the expense of the poor; in so doing, they “commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:9). “Loving” others with partiality is not Christian love.
Today’s New Testament text specifically talks about favoritism on the basis of wealth, but we can show favoritism in other ways, too:
- Giving more attention to people who most look like us while neglecting others around us
- Giving more attention to those who seem to have unique gifts and talents to help us accomplish our mission while giving little attention to those whose gifts aren’t so evident yet
- Giving more attention to one generation over the others in a church
- Giving more attention to the people who join the church under our pastoral leadership than to long-term members.
I’m not arguing there’s never a place for focusing on one group in the church, but we break the entire law when we show favoritism. We must, in the same spirit that James wrote – “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters . . .” (James 2:5) — lovingly confront one another when we see it.
PRAYER: “God, show me where I’m susceptible to showing favoritism – or where I’m already committing this sin.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Jeremiah 25, 35, 36, 45; Psalm 133; James 3
