People Treatment

People Treatment

James 2: ⁸ You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” ⁹ But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker. 

 

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Approaching a person with tattered clothing was easy. I felt comfortable “telling” him or her about GOD. But approaching a person in an elevator who wore expensive clothes made me hesitate.

 

• I said to myself, “He or she won’t want to hear this message.”
• I convinced myself that one group was easier to speak to than others.
• I inadvertently treated people different based on socio-economic status.

 

James continues to warn everyone about mistreating people based on appearance. He drives the point deeper by stating tat everyone should “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” He also provides what would happen if mistreatment occurs based on appearance.

 

My Observations:

• GOD wants me to value everyone as much as HE values them.
• GOD wants me to see how much HE loves people, so I have to look at people differently.
• GOD gives me an easy way to treat people well, namely love people as I love myself.

 

Treating people on different levels is easy to do, especially if he or she looks different than me. I mean, I cannot possibly know what is inside of someone’s heart by looking at him or her. Lavishly dressed people may be full of as much hatred as a tattered dirty dressed person. They also could be full of love. Who can tell? GOD can!

 

HE wants me to see him or her as a person who need the love of GOD as much as I do. HE wants me to think “What would I do and feel if I were in this person’s situation? Would I be afraid to ask for help? Would I be too proud? HE then wants me to take action and do “the right thing.” I am glad GOD does not judge me based on my masks, because HE knows my heart.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer emphasize treating people the same?
• Have you ever looked at someone and thought differently about him or her solely based on appearance?
• Will you practice seeing beyond outer appearance so you can embrace the love of GOD for him or her today?

Even and Pure

Even and Pure

1 Timothy 5: ²¹ In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the holy angels I solemnly call upon you to obey these instructions without showing any prejudice or favor to anyone in anything you do. ²² Be in no hurry to lay hands on people to dedicate them to the Lord's service. Take no part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

 

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Writing ideas on a pad helped me keep track of the things I wanted to come back to. But one day I caught a boss “snooping” around my desk, reading my idea pad. I didn’t say anything and I noticed he mentioned an idea in a meeting. I figured I would get him back by writing absurd ideas that seemed like good ones.

 

• I wasted so much time trying to trip him up that I did not do my job.
• I wanted to keep him and people like him away from me.
• I thought it would be easier to simply meet with likeminded people and share my ideas there and never have to deal with people like him.

 

Paul gives Timothy some sage advice regarding treating people with respect. He knew Timothy would run into people who did not look or act like him. He suggests that Timothy treat everyone “even.” No prejudice and no favor; this way his actions will be without sin or retaliation or deception.

 

My Observations

• In my “mind”, people can do some things that make me want to sin.
• GOD wants me to get control of my “mind” and treat people with HIS love and respect.
• My “mind” is controlled by what is in my heart, so GOD wants me to keep my heart pure.

 

Seeds get planted and grow into trees. The seed of hatred seems to grow faster than the seed of love. My heart is the soil in which the seed can grow. Each seed affects the way I see things. Instead of me asking my snooping boss how I could help him, I tried to hurt him. GOD is the remedy.

 

HE sees people differently than you and me. HE wants “everyone” to be saved and went through great lengths to do so. HE loves, loves, loves the person you may dislike or even hate. HE wants me to treat everyone the same and keep my motives pure. I am glad HE treats me with love.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer mention GOD and JESUS in his urge?
• Have you ever treated someone one way and treated someone else another way and tried to justify this inconsistent action?
• Will you add pure love to your heart by accepting the HOLY SPIRIT inside so HE can guide your motives to pure love and to treat everyone with the respect GOD wants you to show today?

Renewing Image

Renewing Image

Colossians 3: ⁸ But now you must get rid of all these things: anger, passion, and hateful feelings. No insults or obscene talk must ever come from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self with its habits ¹⁰ and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself. ¹¹ As a result, there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians, savages, slaves, and free, but Christ is all, Christ is in all.

 

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“Where were you?” was the strange question given to me. I had snuck back to my apartment, made dinner, ate and came back to work to clock out. My clothes wreaked of cooked food and I was not where I was supposed to be. “I am disappointed in you especially.”

 

• I could see the disappointment in his face.
• I had not done what I was supposed to.
• I ruined my image over something that could have waited.

 

Paul addresses image. Some people were expressing rage, hatred and extreme feelings against or towards specific groups of people. Their image was no longer like that of GOD. Instead, they had fallen into habits that were divisive.

 

My Observations

• GOD created me in HIS image and HE was very pleased.
• Sin caused me to no longer look like HIM, rather I looked like the enemy who tried to steal me.
• JESUS restored my image and provided the HOLY SPIRIT who is “constantly renewing” me in HIS own image.

 

Being born into sin seems unfair and impossible to overcome. I mean, I did not choose to be born, yet because I was born, I an condemned! Not fair! BUT GOD saw this and made things right. JESUS saw the impossible situation, became a human, allowed HIS creation to murder HIM and was raised from the dead for all who believe.

 

Salvation changed my image from death to life. I am now alive! Because of JESUS I have purpose, abundant life and hope. I still sin, but I have an alternative and forgiveness that enables me to have peace in the middle of the storm. I am glad GOD cares about me enough to bring me back to HIS image.

 

Challenge

• What does the writer mean by “put on the new self?”
• Do you think GOD, who saved you, has left you on your own to figure out how to get out of trials?
• Will you trust GOD’s ways enough to drop some old habits and to become more and more like HIM, little by little today?

Desire to Win

Luke 3: ¹² Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

¹³ And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

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“How did you beat him?” I asked. “It’s my secret” was the reply. I watched him play the game again and noticed he was taking money out of the bank as his opponent wasn’t looking. He was cheating! This seemed like a great idea. “Maybe now I can win” I thought to myself.

• There were times when I would do whatever it would take to win.
• There were times when I would stretch the truth in order to win.
• There were times when I would cut corners, stack the deck and lean things in my favor in order to win.

John said to the tax collectors “Collect no more than what is appointed for you” knowing most of them would skim a lot off the top for themselves. The industry was corrupt and it was widely accepted amongst people so their practices, while sneaky, were accepted. BUT GOD wants me to act differently.

• GOD says to me “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is HIS delight.”
• GOD says to me “The LORD wants weights and measures to be honest and every sale to be fair.”
• GOD says to me “Use honest scales, honest weights, and honest measures. I am the LORD your GOD, and I brought you out of Egypt.”

Honesty should be placed higher than winning every time. The desire to please GOD is in fact “winning” every time I play. Whether it is a game or a business deal, GOD wants me to ask HIM “How do you want me to handle this transaction?” HE can decide the outcome and when HE does, I win every time because I accept GOD’s will.

• Are you hung up on winning?
• Do you lie to yourself in order to justify your actions?
• Can you stop trying to win and start listening to GOD who always has a great plan for you?