Do you serve Him in a Resort, or in a hotel, or in a up-market (high-end) or low-end restaurant, or in some other people-business? I challenge you to show Christ's love in your service of excellence without any partiality. I serve among a lot of wealthy people and I serve others as well, but everyone I meet is a VVIP (very very important person) to me. Hello, if God leads you to serve him in a high-end resort just make sure that it was God leading you to do this. You don't want to be there unless God wants you there representing Him.
But how do you or I maintain a good Christian witness among worldly people wherever we work. They value different things than you or me value.
In every breath of Scripture, (very verse was all God-breathed) the Lord calls us Christians to something deeper in Him, to plant roots deeper.. to something nobler, a life unshackled from the sin and lesser pulls of this world system.
Favoritism—though common in our world—is one such chain that binds, a subtle leaning towards one over another. But in God's economy, partiality has no place. It’s a hard message, especially for those of us accustomed to measuring worth by wealth, appearance, or social standing. Yet, the Bible, in its wisdom, speaks to the very heart of this issue with pointed clarity.
Let us start with God Himself. “God does not show favoritism,” declares Romans 2:11, a truth that underscores His unchanging nature. He is utterly fair and infinitely just, seeing us all through the same lens of His love and justice. Ephesians 6:9 follows with the same refrain: “There is no favoritism with Him.” With God, there are no favored children, no handshakes for the well-off or nods to the socially superior. God’s character demands absolute fairness. In Colossians 3:25, we are reminded again that God repays each according to their deeds, holding all equally accountable. Thus, if our lives are to reflect His light, we too must be impartial.
James, the brother of our Lord, addresses the early church on this matter, calling out favoritism with direct urgency. “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism” (James 2:1). Favoritism here is not merely a social flaw; it’s a spiritual fracture. James explains, using the example of how people in his time might treat the wealthy with more deference than the poor—a trait as common today as then. How often do we look at the outward appearance instead of seeing the heart? The truth is, God calls us to a vision far greater than this world’s shallow assumptions, to a love that honors every person as worthy.
"Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?" James 2:5-7
The Old Testament, too, reinforces this teaching. Leviticus 19:15 instructs, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” God’s law of justice is blind to status. Similarly, Exodus 23:3 directs, “Do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit,” reminding us that God’s justice is pure and perfect. To be fair is to be like God, and anything less is beneath His call.
The call to treat others with equity is woven into the very fabric of the law of love. James 2:8-9 issues a clear, unambiguous statement: “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin.” Favoritism is not just a social misstep; it is, plainly, a sin. When we judge others by our personal preferences or cultural biases, we step outside the bounds of God’s law.
Christians, believing Church leaders, above all, are given a unique charge to remain impartial. The apostle Paul instructs Timothy, “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism” (1 Timothy 5:21). For leaders, who must guide and shepherd others, favoritism can distort truth and lead others astray. To lead is to serve every person with equal care and to act in the spirit of Christ, who loves unconditionally.
Even the apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ closest followers, struggled with bias. Initially hesitant to minister to Gentiles, Peter later declared, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34-35). This turning point for Peter reminds us that showing God’s love without partiality is an intentional choice, one that requires a heart open to seeing all people as God’s children.
Favoritism persists as a challenge in every generation. In our hearts, the tendency to show partiality can be strong, but it’s a flawed and fallen impulse, and not from God. Instead, Christians are called to reflect God’s impartial, all-encompassing love. Let us remember, then, the message of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” No person, no soul is outside the realm of God’s redeeming love. May we, in turn, treat each person with that same grace, seeing them as God sees them, worthy and cherished.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3–4
Paul goes on to instruct the Philippians to have the same mindset as Jesus when relating to others, and he details just how humble Jesus was. What does it mean to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit?
What should we learn from the story of the rich man and Lazarus?
What does the Bible say about the prosperity gospel? Lots of TV preachers pushing it, but It's off base.
What was Jesus' message to the church in Smyrna in Revelation?
What does the Bible say about wealth?
The call to serve God isn’t about where we serve, but how we serve. Whether among the wealthy or the poor, in a resort or a modest guesthouse, the call remains the same—to reflect Christ’s love with excellence and without partiality. This isn’t always easy. We live in a world that measures worth by wealth, power, and status, but the gospel flips this notion on its head. “God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11), and as we follow Him, neither should we.
Favoritism—whether subtle or blatant—has no place in our witness. As James 2:1 says, “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.” The truth of the matter is this: every soul matters to God, regardless of wealth or social standing. And so, every person we encounter must be treated as a VVIP—a very, very important person. God is not a respecter of persons, and neither should we be, though we serve among the wealthy or the poor or anyone in between.
What does it mean to serve as a Christian witness? To be a witness is more than sharing beliefs; it’s living in such a way that people can see Jesus in our actions and attitudes. A fruitful witness carries Christ’s light into the world, not with pride or force, but with humility and love. Here are a few qualities that define such a life:
1) Passionate Love for Christ
Effective Christian witnesses are those who all-out love Jesus more than anything or anyone else. This isn’t a surface-level faith; it’s a relationship that fills them with love and overflows to everyone they meet. They don’t just “know about” Jesus; they know Him, and it shows.
2) Desire for Transformation in Others
People changed by Christ long for others to experience the same abundant life. They naturally prioritize their relationship with Jesus, and their lives are like open windows to God’s grace, showing how transformative His love can be.
3) Gentleness and Humility Showing Respect
True witnesses come with humble hearts. They don’t lecture or judge. They sit, they listen, and they build relationships. They are a friend to those around them and let the truth emerge from shared life, not forced agendas.
4) Prayer and Readiness
Fruitful witnesses are rooted in prayer, always asking God to prepare their hearts and make them ready to respond. When the time comes to speak or act, they do so because they’ve been waiting, hopeful that God is at work in those around them.
5) Servant-Hearted and Compassionate
The servant's heart goes out of its way to help others, not out of obligation but out of compassion. A good witness sees needs and responds, pouring out their resources in quiet service.
6) Beyond Courageous -- Bold as Lions
Following Jesus requires courage and He can give you what you need. He can make you bold as a lion. Sure, He sends us believers out into a world of people that may not understand or welcome the truth at all. Yet fruitful witnesses are bold because they know that their message is life-giving. They don’t fear rejection or hostility, knowing that even opposition can be met with gentleness.
In the end, God’s kingdom isn’t about outward appearances or social hierarchies. James 2:6 tells us, “But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?” This reminder is powerful. God’s love is for all, equally and fully, and we are called to reflect this impartial love in how we serve others.
And what of justice? Yes, it’s good to rejoice when evil is restrained or removed from the world. Proverbs 11:10 says, “When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.” But our rejoicing must be tempered with the reality of eternity. We are never to celebrate the eternal condemnation of any soul, for God “does not desire that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). As difficult as it is to hold both truths, we can be grateful for earthly justice and yet mourn for the lost.
So as we serve, let us do so with a heart that loves all people—rich or poor, friend or foe—with the gentleness and truth of Christ. Let us rejoice when justice is done, but never forget the eternal gravity of God’s calling on each of us. May our witness be a testament to the love of Christ that transcends all boundaries, as we serve without favoritism and with unwavering hope.
Need some verses about the rich and riches?
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.
In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.
But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.
You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. ...
The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
For nothing will be impossible with God.”
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
It’s an age-old tension we see before us: how to live out our true Christian love with impartiality, and see justice done while being a witness, and verbally witnessing in a world with both wealth people and poverty around us, with virtue and vice with those around us.
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:26-27
God through James in the Word gives us that solid foundation, reminding us that “true religion” is a heart issue. It shows honor both the wealthy people and to the poor.. without any favoritism. God's word challenges us to check not just our actions but our heart-motives. Favoritism can creep in so subtly, affecting how we view or treat people, and it’s a struggle that every Christian faces, especially in environments that might prize wealth, power, or status.
James 2:6 points out the tragic irony in mistreating or dishonoring the poor while favoring those with wealth—who, in James’s time, often held the power to oppress. Today, we’re reminded to honor each person’s worth and dignity equally, seeing through God’s eyes rather than society’s.
First Peter 3:15 brings in another dimension: readiness to share the hope within us. To live this out is to ensure our witness is genuine, gentle, and motivated by love, especially in settings where differing values may abound. People around us might judge success by worldly standards, yet we’re called to stand out, showing our faith not just by words but by loving everyone without preference. This calls us to a challenging balance—being in the world yet not shaped by its values, a “salt and light” presence that speaks of Christ’s transformative love.
When it comes to justice and the fate of the wicked, Proverbs 11:10 reminds us that there’s a place for righteous rejoicing when justice is served, but as Ezekiel 18:23 clarifies, God’s heart is not for condemnation but for repentance. We can celebrate when evil actions are curbed or justice prevails, acknowledging that this is a taste of God’s earthly judgment. Yet, we’re to hold back from rejoicing over eternal punishment, as even God “takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezekiel 33:11). The goal, always, is redemption, a reflection of God’s grace that spares us all.
As we aim to serve the Lord without partiality, it’s this godly grace we are to embody. We are to be ready to explain our hope in Christ, but also to demonstrate it by honoring each person we meet—both rich or poor. I want to view everyone I meet as a "VVIP" someone very very important in God’s sight, pointing them to a love (in the Lord) that knows no favorites, but earnestly desires the salvation of all people even though some will reject Christ.
This heart-centered impartiality of love in the Lord challenges us deeply--to the core of our being, calling us to pray and reflect God’s character in our service and witness, rejoicing in earthly justice while praying for every person to come to know Christ in a personal way and His living, life-changing hope.
Why do bad things happen to "good people" and good things happen to bad people?
What even is mammon -- I ain't going to live for it?
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