DECEMBER 2 - LOVING OTHERS
READ James 2
True Christian love will not discriminate against the poor.
INSIGHT
"Birds of a feather flock together." Trite as that may sound, it's one of the fundamental laws of social interaction. We are more at home with those who are like us than with those who are not. There is nothing wrong with this tendency. It is built-in and there is little value in denying it. But if that tendency prompts us to act unlovingly, the action is wrong. A tendency cannot be avoided; unloving actions can. James specifically warns us about discriminating against the poor, though it is also wrong to discriminate against anyone because of wealth, creed, race, age, or national origin. The royal law is to love your neighbor as yourself regardless of who the neighbor is.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves us just as we are, we can praise Him that He does not discriminate against us:
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
Bring an offering and enter his courts.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
Let the sea and all that fills it resound
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The one who lives with integrity lives securely,
But whoever perverts his ways will be found out
(Proverbs 10:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
God will bring this about in his own time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
(1 Timothy 6:15-16).
True Christian love will not discriminate against the poor.
INSIGHT
"Birds of a feather flock together." Trite as that may sound, it's one of the fundamental laws of social interaction. We are more at home with those who are like us than with those who are not. There is nothing wrong with this tendency. It is built-in and there is little value in denying it. But if that tendency prompts us to act unlovingly, the action is wrong. A tendency cannot be avoided; unloving actions can. James specifically warns us about discriminating against the poor, though it is also wrong to discriminate against anyone because of wealth, creed, race, age, or national origin. The royal law is to love your neighbor as yourself regardless of who the neighbor is.
PRAYER
Because the Lord loves us just as we are, we can praise Him that He does not discriminate against us:
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
Bring an offering and enter his courts.
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice;
Let the sea and all that fills it resound
(Psalm 96:5-8, 11).
Pause for praise and thanksgiving. Now pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind, and pray this affirmation to the Lord:
The one who lives with integrity lives securely,
But whoever perverts his ways will be found out
(Proverbs 10:9).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, include:
- Greater insight into God's holy Word
- The hungry around the world
- Whatever else is on your heart
Finally, offer this prayer to the Lord:
God will bring this about in his own time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
(1 Timothy 6:15-16).
A Dogwood Church Discipleship Ministry Resource. © Walk Thru the Bible 2025.