Greetings, royal subjects of Inclusionaland!
Today, we’re diving into the “royal law” from James 2:8-11. It’s time to don our crowns, dust off our scepters, and explore how inclusional living can help us apply the law of God in all the nooks and crannies of our lives.
8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. 10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. 11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.
James 2:8-11 (NLT)
One of the reasons we use the new term “inclusional” rather than the more often used term “inclusive” (like what we usually saw at work) is because we want to stress that this inclusivity is based on the Bible rather than any other values. The royal law, according to James, is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Sounds familiar, right? But, loving our neighbors sounds simple, but we all know it’s easier said than done. It is the royal law because King Jesus put this command front and center, summing up the essence of God’s law.
When we practice inclusional living, we’re embracing the royal law, ensuring everyone feels the warm embrace of love and acceptance from Jesus. We listen without judgment, share without reservation, and celebrate our differences with joy. It’s like hosting the world’s most diverse and delightful block party, where everyone’s invited!
But beware of the sneaky trap of favoritism! We often justify our favoritism by imagining that we’re doing a great job at loving all our neighbors. However, in actual reality, we’re only loving some of them—the ones we prefer to love. James warns that showing favoritism means breaking the law (James 2:9). The law is an all-or-nothing deal – stumbling in one area makes us guilty of breaking the whole shebang (James 2:10-11). Gulp!
But what happens when we slip up and break the royal law? Well, the good news is, we can always hit the “reset” button, seek forgiveness, and strive to do better next time. The key is to keep growing in love and inclusional living.
So, royal subjects, are you ready to love ALL your neighbors as Jesus taught? Let’s put on our inclusional capes and spread neighborly love far and wide, transforming our communities and beyond.
How can you practically apply the royal law in your daily interactions to foster a sense of belonging for all without showing favoritism?
We can practically apply the royal law by simply treating others as equals and seeking the good of others versus ourselves. Seeking the good of others is what Paul told the Corinthians and I think it is a practical mantra that can help us to not show favoritism in our interactions with others.
(from Hai)
That’s a tough one..I think it takes intentionally being present with people who have personalities that don’t mesh with mine.(.at work and at church) and find ways to love them
The word of God says favoritism is a sin!
“But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin.” James 2:9
I’ve read this verse many times before and knew it wasn’t good to show favoritism but I don’t remember that it was a sin!
Well, I will definitely keep that in mind.
Since I’m usually home with Niko I don’t have much interaction with people in general but past two days I made an effort to talk to the lady next to me in Pilates class and found out she use to live in Kauai sue to her husband being in the military and the worker at Get Air trampoline park named Isabelle. I took some chocolate and gave it to her. She knows Niko by name bc we’re the only ones jumping before noon. I want to get to know Isabelle better.
It’s hard not to gravitate towards people that I’m familiar with & that share similar interests with me. However, I can put in the work & practice the royal law by just starting off with something simple like asking how their day is going and starting to build upon conversations after that.
One way where I can practically apply the royal law in my daily interactions to foster a sense of belonging for all without showing favoritism is by reflecting on my relationship with Jesus and how He chose me even when I’m at my worst. I think having that perspective will allow me to love and forgive those who have wronged me since Jesus did the same
I am very confused when I read this passage. What is the definition of favoritism in the Bible. This seems to me that I need to love everyone equally which is impossible. I would love my son more than anyone else. I would love my own family and closed friends more than some. I would prefer to hang out with some friends over others. If someone do not invite me or hang out with me over someone, does that mean they show favoritism? Aghhhh I am still thinking hard about this subject and not agree to some extents.