The Wisdom Letter | Faith Doesn’t Play Favorites

Let’s talk about favoritism.

We all have preferences. We gravitate toward certain people. Some folks are easier to connect with than others. We might have more in common with one person than another. That’s human nature.

There is a noteworthy difference between having preferences and treating people differently because of their appearance, status, wealth, or perceived importance.

James has a lot to say about this issue of playing favorites.

In James 2:1–12, we’re reminded that faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ and favoritism don’t belong together. They aren’t good ministry fits.

James paints a picture of two visitors entering a gathering. One is dressed in fine clothes and wears a gold ring. The other is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. The well-dressed visitor receives the VIP treatment, while the poor visitor is told to stand somewhere out of the way or sit on the floor.

Same room. Same gathering. Very different treatment.

Why? Because one looks important, and the other doesn’t.

Sound familiar?

While we might not say it out loud, we sometimes measure people by what they wear, what they do for a living, how much money they make, who they know, or what they can do for us.

We give our attention to people who might advance our interests while overlooking those who have nothing to offer us in return.

Ouch.

James calls that out for what it is: making distinctions based on worldly standards rather than seeing people as God would have us see them.

God doesn’t measure people by the labels we put on them. Neither should we.

James reminds his readers that God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of His kingdom. He then points them to the royal law found in Scripture:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (James 2:8, ESV)

Notice that James calls it the royal law. Loving our neighbors isn’t some optional extra for Christians who happen to be nice people. It’s central to the way we’re called to live.

And our neighbor isn’t just the person who looks like us, thinks like us, shares our interests, or makes us comfortable.

It includes the person we might otherwise overlook. The person who can’t repay our kindness. The one who doesn’t fit our circle. The individual who walks into the room and doesn’t get noticed.

Jesus never taught us to love people according to their social standing. He showed us what it looks like to welcome people others dismissed, to show compassion to those others avoided, and to value people the world often overlooked.

As followers of Jesus, we’re called to do the same.

James also reminds us that showing favoritism is sin. That’s a sobering thought. We can attend church, read our Bibles, talk about our faith, and still fail to treat people with the dignity and love God commands.

Our faith should change more than what we believe. It should change how we treat people.

Dallas is a city of big dreams, business success, professional ambition, and plenty of people who have worked hard to get where they are. There’s nothing inherently wrong with success, earning a good living, or enjoying the fruit of our labor.

In a culture where success, influence, appearance, and connections can carry considerable weight, it’s worth asking ourselves an uncomfortable question:

Who gets my attention, and who gets overlooked?

Do I treat someone differently because of their appearance, income, education, influence, or usefulness to me? Do I make room for the person everyone else seems to ignore?

I know I need to keep examining my own heart in this area. It’s easy to talk about loving people. It’s another thing to demonstrate that love when there’s nothing in it for us.

The good news is that Jesus doesn’t simply expose our shortcomings. He calls us to follow Him, allowing His grace to reshape our hearts and our relationships.

Faith doesn’t play favorites.

James doesn’t leave much room for excuses. He reminds us that showing favoritism contradicts our faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot claim to follow the Lord of glory while measuring people by the world’s standards of importance.

Think about it. Pray about it. Live it out.