Live Upside Down

Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor...

James 2:5-6

As we go through life, we can tend to look at things from a certain perspective. This is especially true when deciding on what and who are truly valuable.

Leaders are viewed as important; servants don’t matter. If someone is rich, we jump at the chance to assist them with the hope of impressing them. But if someone further down on the socioeconomic ladder is in need, we go out of our way to avoid them.

James tells us that we’ve got to turn that thinking upside down. Throughout the gospels, Jesus talks about an upside down kingdom. He says that if you want to be great in God’s kingdom, you have to be willing to become a servant. If you want to be strong, become weak. If you want to be first, be willing to be last.

Do you jump at the chance to rub shoulders with the boss, yet neglect the opportunity to help a fellow coworker? Remember, when it comes to seeing things from God’s perspective, it’s not about the position of the person, but the position of your heart that enables you to think upside down.

NEXT STEPS:

• Evaluate your motives: who are you rushing to help today?
• Take a step back. Be last instead of first. Serve someone else instead of expecting to be served.
• Ask God to change your perspective to begin thinking upside down.

Counts and No-Counts

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.
James 2:1

Most of us, at one time or another, have had mental lists of the people we like to hang out with and those we don’t. And everyone, it seems, falls into one of two categories: the counts or the no-counts.

Some of us would prefer to rub shoulders with the wealthy, while others have a tendency to resent the rich. But no matter what our socioeconomic status is, chances are that we have found ourselves on both sides of the list—the judging side, and the side that’s being judged.

In the verse above, James says that this type of attitude is a sin. It does not honor God, nor does it help us become a mature and authentic follower of Christ.

Jesus never showed favoritism. He sought the downtrodden, the prostitute, the tax collector, the sinner. Why? Because we all need a Savior. And because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection being for all people, God is adamant that we reflect the same attitude. Everyone is equal and everyone is to be treated as a part of the royal family of God.

Shut Your Mouth

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.

Proverbs 1:5

Have you ever been part of a one-sided conversation? The other person talks and talks, slowing down only long enough to catch their breath before rambling on some more. Through all the words, what that person is really saying is that they don’t know how to listen.

Being a good listener starts with closing our mouths and opening our ears. And that’s also how we should approach our communication with God. God has a myriad of ways in which he can communicate with us, so we should listen first to what he has to say.

Whether it’s through his Word, the Bible, or through the counsel of a wise Christian friend, you can hear God—if you’ll just take the time to listen. And when you hear what he has to say, you’ll discover the very words that can change your life.