The Book of JamesSample

Today's Devotional:

What’s your favorite color? How about your favorite food? What about the best genre of music? Most people can quickly come up with an answer to all of these questions, namely because they are based on our personal preferences. I once watched a taste-testing competition where four home cooks each made their own rendition of the same dish. In this case, it was sweet potato pie. After all four cooks completed their dessert, they had a chance to taste each other's pastry, including their own—blindfolded! The funniest part was when the home cooks were interviewed before the judging, they were all partial to their own desserts—this was until they were blindfolded. The contestants made remarks like, “This one has too much sugar,” “This one doesn’t have enough flavor,” or “This is just bad.” Well, here’s the funny part, the blindfolded bakers were criticizing their own desserts! The blindfolds actually blinded their biases. In James 2, he warns his listeners of the dangers of showing special attention to some and not others, based on where they’ve come from. He challenges them to see themselves and each other no longer based on the perceived advantages of their social-economic status. He wants them to recognize that what used to divide them no longer plays a role in how they are unified in Christ. What if we asked God His preference on color, cultural background, financial status, political affiliations, or language? All I can say is His reply would be different than ours.

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This devotional was written by Amanda Gonzalez.

Questions:

1. Can you recognize any of your personal biases?
2. How have they played a role in how you see others?
3. Is there an area that needs to change in light of today's reading?

Prayer:

God, I want to thank you for the way you show us mercy. I am grateful for how Jesus erases the division in us in order to bring unity among us. Holy Spirit, please help me first to see people as you see them, so I can then learn to treat them as you treat me. In Jesus’ name, amen.