I've noticed my offending this principle more often in the past couple
years. Usually generated by my higher standards of efficiency when I fall
short, being too busy to get everything done on time, and more importantly
often times when I don't take the time to put works to my faith and stuff
any fears in the enemies yap, and boot him in the backside out the
door. I agree, when I need to be mmost aware of this principle is before
it is violated.
Brad
on 01:45 AM 8/13/2005, Vicki and The Rors said:
Thanks Brad for sharing your thoughts out loud with us. You reminded me
of
the way I regard people sometimes too. I had difficult people to deal
with
in my day today. If I would have stopped to consider, but all I saw was
their selfishness. So, I need to take more care to regard people. Those
of
whom I was referring today were different from me in culture and language.
I really should have said, what can I learn from this instead of getting
my
bristles up. Thanks for the good thoughts. Praying the Lord brings this
Scripture to mind again, just when I need it.
Vicki
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brad D" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 3:37 PM
Subject: [ECHURCH-USA] Partiality, not just fiscal
> Some thoughts as I read this afternoon, or other wise one of my
> bababababababababababablings. Read it for what it is worth, or delete
it,
> no matter. I think best when writing cause I have to slow down long
enough
> to consider things, and thought to send it.
>
> "My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ
> with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your
> assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also
> comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to
the
> one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good
> place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down
by
> my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and
become
> judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God
choose
> the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
which
> He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor
man.
> Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?
Do
> they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? If,
> however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture,
"YOU
> SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. But if you
show
> partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as
> transgressors. --James 2:1-10
>
> I've read this scripture over and over many times and felt reasonably
> confident I had treated folks the same regardless of their fiscal
stature.
> In fact, if I felt off sides on this scale it was probably more so
> treating those with money and stature less so than the more common
folks
> of which I am a member. Recently I had attended a convention, a meeting
of
> fellow blind vendors to be more specific to my point. I was walking
down
> the maze of halls to the conference room and saw a man, appeared to me
to
> be dressed in a suit, and he was hurriedly looking for the rest room
> before the meeting began. I knew this because I had caught the tail end
of
> his question to another in passing. There was really no one else around
> and so I thought it might be a good idea to do business there myself
prior
> to the meeting, so I checked out the rooms and etc. and found the rest
> room for the gentleman. I first noted he didn't say "Oh hey thanks". I
> expected something as such and perhaps a "Are you here for the vending
> meeting? Yeah? Oh. Where you from. Hi my name is so and so, glad to
meet
> you and glad you could make it". And so forth. Instead he asked "Who
are
> you?" I told him and he just disappointedly said "Oh" and quickly dried
> his hands, tossed his dirty used hand towels on the countertop and
walked
> out. Later I saw him in the bustle of a large over pass skywalk area
which
> also had a bar and an eating facility and tables and etc. I followed
and
> watched him as he hollered for his wife like a lost puppy and when
someone
> else recognized him; off he went playing the big shot walking and
talking
> with no regard to his wife again. Who knows where his wife wound up.
This
> man, as I watched him through the meetings, seemed to be only in the
> relationships and acquaintances for his own benefit and not a genuine
> concern or experience. This to me is a living example of the above
> scripture. I lost respect for him very quickly and therefore need to be
> careful not to regard him in the same manner as he did me only with
> opposing motivations. This however is a blatant violation of
partiality.
> There are other ways it can be done with much more subtlety. I played
on a
> worship team at our church in Texas for quite some time. We were
getting a
> new leader who was an organ player and loved the keys. First I noticed
how
> attention to detail and stresses in the songs we practiced were only
aimed
> at organ and piano. There was very little and mostly no direction of
how
> he wanted guitar to sound or be accented. However the true partiality
came
> through when at one practice time, he must have noticed it himself so
felt
> need to make it a point to pat me on the back a bit, and proceeded to
tell
> me how good the guitar was sounding and so forth. Little did he know
that
> someone borrowed the cord to my direct input box and so I wasn't even
> plugged in and coming through the system at that practice. Oh, oh,
busted
> lol. I didn't have the heart to tell him. I've always wanted to be one
of
> those people who made you feel welcome right off, no matter who you
were.
> Ever met one of those people? They stand out so clear. They ask you
> questions as an acquaintance or initial meeting and you can tell just
from
> their tone and attention that they genuinely care and you feel totally
at
> home in their company. . My problem is I'm too busy reading the
person's
> personality upon meeting them I couldn't tell you their name five
minutes
> after leaving their company. That is something I really need to work
on,
> and really try to conquer. So point being that partiality I don't
think
> in this scripture is limited to fiscally minded motives but general
> caring and not letting anything else get in the way of treating that
> person as you would treat yourself or would like to be treated. I am in
> much need to treat others that way, especially when things do not go
the
> way I would like in my day. I trust I'm reminded of my selfishness when
I
> read this scripture from this point out.
>
> Brad
>
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