James points out that when we classify people based on their appearance or any other reason, we exercise evil motives or evil thoughts. I confess that I can struggle with this passage. But James is steadfast. What do we base our judgments on? And should we judge at all?
We have to judge. But we shouldn’t label. You make judgments all the time. You judge whether or not you should leave your phone on the table or your keys in the car. When we label people and group them based on judgments about their character, that’s wrong.
We talk about trying to help everyone move one notch closer to Jesus. That requires that I at least consider where the other person already is. But I don’t want to judge with evil thoughts or, as some translations say, with evil motives. If we judge so we can label people, then we dropped the ball.
Today, I should ask Jesus what I can do. The people I’m already planning to meet, how can I help them move one notch closer to Jesus? What can I do for them? I can pray for them. I can ask God how he wants me to interact with them? I can do things I know are always correct, like demonstrate love, or forgiveness.
What we do because we follow Jesus matters. Today, ask God to show you if you’re showing partiality to some. Ask God to show you how to integrate your faith into your work daily. Can your faith direct how you interact with others? This verse will help you examine your own motives and make sure you do your job the way God would want it done.
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