Bible Reading: Job 26; Jam. 2:1-7
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons” -James 2:1 (KJV).
We find that our society clearly differentiates between the poor and the rich. More recently, more emphasis is being placed on wealth at the expense of character. This is very dangerous to our society as the wrong signal is being sent to the children and the youth that money, irrespective of how you get it, is more important than character.
In a number of our churches, ministerial appointments favour the well-to-do compared with the poor. This is contrary to what the Lord Jesus enjoins us to do. James 2:1 (KJV) says: “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”
We should not respect persons based on their financial status but based on their righteousness.
Since the unbelievers generally favour the rich, if the Christians do the same, then there is no difference between the two.
When two people who are dressed in different ways come into the church with different financial backgrounds, how do we treat them? Do we ask the rich to sit in some places while the poor sit somewhere else? And when we need to choose leaders from the church concerning spiritual matters, what do we consider first? Is it their spiritual status or their financial position?
It is important that we treat them equally in church as well as in our various encounters with people. Whatever we do outside is bound to have effect on our behaviour in the church. This will also send signal to others who are watching us.
Action Point: Search your life and identify your disposition to the poor and address it in line with the word of God that we are all the same irrespective of your position or intelligence.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero