Friday 22 Feb 2013

Friday Reading: James 2:8-9

Key Verse: James 2:9
9  But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

Devotion:
Have you ever sat back and wondered why you chose certain people as your friends and then looked at others and asked “how did I ever get involved with them?” I’m sure that we have all wondered and may have even tried to analyse things but maybe not looked at it from God’s point of view rather than our own worldly view on it. I do find myself looking at some people and thinking that I could be friends with them just because of their pleasant appearance, but when you get to know them a bit better you may find that they are not the same person on the inside as you see on the outside.

God would prefer us to be honest and open with the world so that people will see on the outside the same person that they will find on the inside – but we will always find that difficult to attain to because we have not grown up in that sort of world! We have grown up in a world where the two sides are very different and it is hard to try and figure out people. God does not have that problem because He sees us for what we really are (wouldn’t it be nice to be able to see some people for what they really are and what they really are after before we get into trouble with them?)

God wants us to be able to not look on the inside of others, because that is beyond our means, but to love others for whatever they are; to accept them the way that they are and encourage them to seek God at all times for continual guidance and security. If we reject people just because we don’t like what they do or reject them because of the way they look, then we are rejecting God’s creation based on something that God has not taught us. If God chose us because of the way we looked or the way we acted then we would be in real trouble because none of us are worthy to even come close to God without Christ first forgiving us and separating us from our sin!

I find it very refreshing that our church welcomes everyone no matter what background they come from and that I am able to go out and reach out to many more people than I otherwise would if we were a closed community. God will not turn people away but rather invites them in. We are the ones who turn God away and reject Him instead. Let us accept all of God’s creation and love all that He has done for us.

Points to Ponder:
Are you picky about friends?

Was God picky when He chose you?