Impartiality
Rikki Permenter, MAMFC, Th. M.
For there is no partiality with God.
― Paul, Romans 2:11
The other day I had a kid from church come over to help out around the yard. I’m a huge fan of having kids over to help out and I don’t mind putting money toward their youth camp fund in return. This kid picked up hundreds of sticks and cleaned out our chicken coop (yes, we have chickens - Jacob, Rachel, and Leah). When this kid went to clean the coop out, he opened up the rooster part first. Upon opening it up he found two chickens and one weenie dog. Yes, you read it right - two chickens and one weenie dog hanging out in perfect harmony in our eden like back yard. I wish I could have gotten a picture of it for you guys! I would have sent it with the article.
This week my pets taught me a good lesson. They are so very different, yet they live in harmony. They get along, they eat together, play together, and even “roost” together. Sometimes as Christians we may find it hard to get along with people who are different. Maybe they look different, maybe they live life differently, maybe speak a different language (or might as well speak a different language). This is essentially the same thing Paul is talking about in Romans when he says “for there is not partiality with God.”
In Romans, Paul is encouraging the Jews to get along with the Gentiles regardless of how different they may be. Paul is attempting to explain to the Jews that God shows no partiality and neither should they, regardless of if they are Jewish or not. You see this same theme throughout the New Testament as a reminder to Christians. The same reminder Paul and other New Testament authors give early Christians is the same reminder I give you today. God shows no partiality. Regardless of how different you may be from the people around you, learn to “roost” together.
Author Bio
Rikki Permenter, MAMFC, Th.M., is the owner of Bent Tree Counseling in Clinton, La. She is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in the state of Louisiana. She is the wife of Cole Permenter, pastor of Bluff Creek Baptist and a doctoral student at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Interested in counseling or have questions? Check out her website www.benttreecounseling.com.
This article can be found in print in the monthly Baptist Association of Southeast Louisiana newsletter.
