Superficial

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

You, like I, might have a tendency just to read right over this verse without much thought. We've heard it all of our lives, treat everyone the same, no favorites, right?

Look a little deeper at this, I think it will not only change your view, but maybe change the way you act.

He's talking about prejudice, partiality, and favoritism. It literally means "to receive somebody's face" -- to receive somebody at face value, on the basis of how they look, superficial judgment. James says, "Don't do that. Don't accept people just on superficial judgments."

That changes things. Think of how we make superficial judgments based on:

Appearance – "You only get one chance to make a first impression!" How many times did you hear that growing up? Why? Beauty is everything in our world. How you're dressed definitely influences how you relate to people.

Come on, don't you judge people immediately by how they look?

Ancestry -- Age -- Achievement – and the most common, Affluence, whether they're rich or poor.

Which one do you struggle with most?

²
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Romans 12:2

Read over the next 2 verses and let God change your thinking.

⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

⁵Listen, 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?
James 2:5

As you go through the day look at the faces you pass and ask "how did I receive their face?"