Scripture
Read: Timothy 5:21 I solemnly
charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels,
to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of
partiality.
Application:
One of the more difficult things any human being has to deal with is their own
bias’s.
We see things through our eyes, which come front loaded with our experiences,
memories and values. This is why Paul gives Timothy a stern warning concerning
this very matter. As a leader he must protect the integrity of his office by over
ruling the natural tendencies we all have of looking at things only through our
own eyes. This is an admonition we
would all do well to apply. Not only will it make us better listeners, for you
to see something through other’s eyes you have to listen to their point of view, but it
also will slow us down enough to ask God for His perspective, which is the most
important. The word bias in the original is a compound of two Greek words:
πρόκριμα prókrima;
from pró, before, and krínō, to judge. With reference to place
and time, to decide beforehand, prefer before, another being put aside
(1 Tim. 5:21). Prókrima includes
an unfavorable prejudgment against one, partiality being included in the
attitude of this prejudgment.[1]
Prejudging
can be very dangerous and detrimental to individuals, for both the one doing it
and the individual that is being prejudged. Reputations can be hurt,
friendships jeopardized and truth can be ignored. Every prejudice I have ever
encountered was based on individuals’ prejudgment of
people or things separate from any fact or truth. The other danger of this bias
we all have is that we will be tempted to favor the individuals we like no
matter what the facts show. When Church leaders do this the damage to Christ’s name is
felt inside and outside the Church. When the world see believers jumping to
conclusions before the facts are in, they lose any respect they had for
Christianity. We owe it to our Lord to seek the Holy Spirit’s help to
separate ourselves from our bias and seek the truth. God desires this and will
enable those that seek His counsel to have it. This does not mean that we will
not have friends that are closer to us than others, we are human and this is a
normal thing in our society. What it does mean is that when it comes to how we
treat individuals, especially when it deals with issues concerning sin and
failure, we must divorce ourselves from our emotions and only discern what the
truth is. This can be very difficult if it is your friend that has fallen and
you are the one that has to confront the issue. I have been there, and at that
moment I wanted to be anywhere else but there. Yet, I knew what God would
desire and if I love this individual the tough love required was for his best.
God has always been with me. (Mt 18) He has always protected and comforted. He
is faithful and will be to you also. Stand for the truth, with no bias and you
will see the blessings of God!
Meditation Questions: Do
you ask others if they see things the same way you do? Is everyone you ask just
like you? What does that say? Do you know where you are bias? What do you do to
protect yourself from being affected by that? Has someone ever prejudged you?
How did that feel? Is it normal to prejudge things? What should we do about
that? What if you have a sense about something? How should you handle that? Do
you believe the Holy Spirit can help you see without bias? How does He do that?
[1]
Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word
study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG
Publishers.
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