Proverbs 28:21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
Don’t Depend on Feelings
In my junior year of high school, my family and I visited a pastor in a foreign country. One day, we had a minor “fender bender” with another vehicle. I will never forget how the missionary was very deliberate in the way he handled the incident. This was important, because bribing the police was common in this country.
Now regardless of where you live, there is a human inclination to do what we do to other people based on what we like, not on what we believe. All people have convictions about certain important things, but we also have emotions. It is important to remember that emotions are not to be the primary driver of the way we treat other people.
Proverbs 28:21 says it this way, “To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.” In other words, a man who is easily bribed cannot be expected to deal fairly with people. He is living in accordance with what he likes, not in accordance with what he believes. Our dealings with people should be based on what we believe and not merely on who we like.
Our feelings can be fickle, but what is right does not change. The right thing to do is not based on how I feel about a person. All of us need to live based on the truths God has given. I need to do right by all people regardless of how I feel about them. In this way, it is conviction and not personality that calls the shots in my life.