God view of our walk and talk and man’s view are most times total opposites. Pastor James reminds us to stop and evaluate our own thinking and behaving…can we say, ouch?

The Royal Rule of Love
“My dear friends, don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, and you say to the man in the suit, ‘Sit here, sire; this is the best seat in the house!’ and either ignore the street person or say, ‘Better sit here in the back row,’ haven’t you segregated God’s children and proved that you are judges who can’t be trusted?” James 2, Msg

God’s view versus Worldview–The Upside Down Kingdom…

“Listen, dear friends. Isn’t it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world’s down-and-out as the kingdom’s first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God. And here you are abusing these same citizens! Isn’t it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind? Aren’t they the ones who scorn the new name–‘Christian’–used in your baptisms?”
James 2, Msg

We may not openly do this in our churches today, (or do we?), but our first human impressions of those who walk through the doors leave us to judge and question why are they here, what do they want from us? Or worse yet, I wonder what they could do for us? Just love them in. No matter who they are. Just love them in with your accepting smile versus a smile of expectation. It probably took them weeks to decide to walk through those church doors and they are scared to death. Ease that fright with all your might! Just smile and wave, boys, just smile and wave. (My favorite line in the movie, Madagascar.)

“You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: ‘Love others as you love yourself.’ But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it. You can’t pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God’s law and ignoring others.” James 2, Msg

“You can catch more bees with honey than vinegar”
–Grandpa Lacquement
BE KIND…REWIND!
Now, comes the ouch of all in this next passage…was I as kind as I could have been in dealing with others this past week? Rewind your week and ask the same question. Then repent, as I have, and move forward. Peace and joy is restored when we do.

“Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgement every time.” James 2, Msg

Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word through James is a book of personal evaluation. We look in so that we may see what we need to work on, to clean up in our own lives. Thank you for this look in the mirror. Now, helps us go to work, by Your Holy Spirit, to be better today than yesterday. In Jesus Name, Amen