Be Still And Know

READ: James 2:1 NLT 'My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favour some people over others?' Do you have favourites? Or do you look at other people in the same way whatever their age, education, wealth, beauty, race, religion and irrespective of whether you know them or not? The first question suddenly got more difficult didn’t it? We would all be keen to claim that we don’t have favourites but James points out to his readers that favouritism very easily creeps into our thinking. James describes a situation that could happen in a local church. An obviously wealthy person comes to a service and is welcomed generously and given a good seat. He is followed by a scruffy man whose poverty is plain for all to see who is told rudely to sit down or find a place on the floor. James proclaims boldly that this should not happen. The main reason why favouritism should not happen is that God doesn’t do it. God welcomes everyone whoever they are, and we are ca