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?

Entertained

Luke 23: ⁸ When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. ⁹ He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹ Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² That day Herod and Pilate became friends – before this they had been enemies.

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After the event I discussed the person on stage. “They were not very good” I commented. I was seeking amusement and had criteria that needed to be met.  Later, I went to a church. “The pastor speaking was not very good”, I said to myself.

• Sometimes I want to be entertained by people.
• Sometimes I view people as something that satisfies me.
• Sometimes I desire people to say the right words at my command.

Herod saw JESUS as entertainment. He heard how JESUS healed people and raised someone from the dead. Herod could not wait for JESUS to do a parlor trick. He even became friends with his enemy, Pilate, for sending him this wonderful stage act.

• JESUS says to me “These are MY lambs, feed them.”
• JESUS says to me “Look at MY people with compassion.”
• JESUS says to me “I can see your heart, fill it with MY love and you will be successful.”

When I look at people as a problem, inconvenience or entertainment, I miss out on what GOD wants me to see. HE desires only one thing that all of HIS sheep come back to HIM. All of us have gone astray BUT GOD desires that all return to HIM. I am grateful for HIS love.

• Do you seek people to entertain you?
• Do you blame people for their behavior?
• Will you show “that” person grace today?