For just over 4 years, I have been an advocate for a young teen girl with disabilities. She was 13 when I first became her advocate. Over the past 4 years, I have become keenly aware of prejudices, both of others and my own, both subtle and blatant. (Blatant means obvious, unconcealed, barefaced, unashamed, deliberate.)
In the first part of Chapter 2, James refers to the treatment of the poor vs. the rich...a blatant prejudice for sure! Prejudices can take many forms – too young or too old, too skinny or too heavy, color of skin, area of the city lived in, kind of car driven, or physical, mental, or learning disability. A prejudice is anything in which we use our own life to measure the value of a person instead of God’s. Verse 12 says, “...whenever you speak or whatever you do...you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free.” That law of love is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” As we love ourselves the way God loves us, we will then love others and see them through God’s eyes...through the blood of Jesus.
The other part of chapter 2 that always speaks to me is verse 17, “…Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless,” and verse 26, “Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.” Sometimes we get it backwards, thinking our actions will produce faith. But, good deeds are corresponding actions of our faith. It is trusting God so much that we are willing to do whatever God tells us to do. Just as Abraham, our faith is made complete by what we do...by our obedience to God. (vs. 22)
In our walk of faith, where do we need to take that first step and get out of the boat, that corresponding action of obedience?
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