August 7, 2012

Being Partial

Something I have been thinking on lately is this.
Something is not right in the Christian Church at times.
Not right at all.  That something is the tendency to being partial.

There are times when I have struggled
to keep this one in check.  In balance.
Oh, it's easy to be exclusive.  To be partial.
To have favourites.  Too easy.

And, yet, it's wrong.  Very wrong.
We are not to be partial.  Not to have favourites.
Not to give ourselves exclusively to one person
or group of people within the church body.

We are to be a family.
And, we are to serve one another.

This is not to say that we are not to be discerning.  Not at all!
We ought not to embrace every *wind of doctrine*
in the name of peace and *unity*.
Unless we are united around the LORD and HIS Word,
we do not have unity at all!

There is no peace to be found outside of HIM.

I am speaking here of excluding people within
our local church fellowship who may not be *our kind of people*,
or those who we would perhaps not seek out as friends.
I am also speaking of those ones who we seek out
to the exclusion of others on a Sunday morning.
Perhaps there are those who are lonely, or hurting, or new?

They are the ones we ought to seek out.



I chose this photo to go with this post because it
shows one *special* tree in it ~ just like that one special friend.
Or, perhaps, it's like that one who is excluded.
It is often a temptation to exclude or to be exclusive.

How sad it is!  May it never be said of us!
May the LORD be glorified in all we do and say.
And, may we be instruments of HIS grace to many along the way!

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring,
in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;
And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing,
and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place;
and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of 

this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath
promised to them that love him?

But ye have despised the poor.
Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin,
and are convinced of the law as transgressors."  James 2:1-9

May we each take heed to these words from the Bible
and may we be found living according to them.
By His grace and in His strength.  For His glory alone.

In HIS Love, Camille

**Photo credit ~ Calvin...thank you my love! xo

8 comments:

Nadine said...

A very good reminder Camille.
Beautiful photo by Calvin!

Blessings!
~Nadine

Heather said...

Wise and pertinent thoughts, my friend. I pray that I will always view others through Jesus' eyes as I connect with those around me.

Camille said...

Dear Nadine ~ Thank you for your sweet encouragement to Calvin...he so enjoys taking photos. :) Oh, how I need to constantly be reminded of what God's Word says on these matters. How graciously HE leads us!

Dear Heather ~ Yes, my friend...may we all do the same...all in the strength of our Great God! He alone is able to give the grace and help for such things. :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

Good thoughts and you are so right. It's good not to judge and to be kind to all people. Do unto others as you should have them do unto you! Amen!

Maryann said...

Speaking strictly on a personal level I have been guilty of seeking out the familiar, staying in my comfort zone....sitting in the exact same spot in church every Sunday, surrounded by the same people. I needed this reminder today. Blessings to you

Camille said...

Dear Becky ~ Yes, indeed my friend...*do unto others* is such a good motto to live by! May the LORD help us to do so by HIS strength! :)

Dear Maryann ~ How honest of you my friend. May the LORD give us each the ability to seek out those who need encouragement and the wisdom to know how to do it...for HIS glory. :)

Blessings to you both!
In HIS Love,
Camille

Stacie, A Firefighter's Wife said...

This is such a problem in our church. We say hello to the people we know, we hang out with people we are comfortable with, the people we have things in common. What about the hurt? What about the poor? What about the sick and rebellious? What about the people who are the walking wounded who are hanging on by a thread?

I love these verses in James. We are without excuse!

Camille said...

Dear Stacie ~ I think we often get comfortable and go with the status quo in life...may it never be so of us! Only the LORD can do this work in our hearts...apart from HIM we can do nothing. What a blessing it is that HE walks these paths with us. May we be sensitive to HIS leading and open to take the path less traveled. :)

Blessings to you!
Camille