Let's start with two definition of what double standard is:
"A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for similar situations"
"A set of standards that applies differently and usually more harshly to one group of people or circumstances than to another"
The definitions are very clear and self explanatory but let's give few examples from our everyday life to get better picture:
1. When someone says that Russia has occupied and annexed Crimea without admitting and saying that EU, NATO and USA have done the exact same thing with Serbia and pronouncing Kosovo as independent state is DOUBLE STANDARD. Same goes other way around.
2. When EU demands from Macedonia to recognize the rights of minority ethnic groups while not demanding the same thing from the already existing EU members is DOUBLE STANDARD.
3. Whenever we decided to point the finger towards one president bad moral character without doing the same towards another president bad moral policies or other way around, guess what? DOUBLE STANDARD
Maybe I chose the most obvious examples of double standard but it is issue that comes in many forms and it is present in every area of our lives. We can see it in relationship between parents and children;husbands and wife's; between male and females; it is seen between different ethnic groups, different races etc...
It seems to me that double standard is all around us and in us all but for some reason we fail to see it, recognize it, address it and deal with it.
The bottom line story is this:
Whenever we decide to hold another person
to a higher standard than ourselves it means we have
to a higher standard than ourselves it means we have
DOUBLE STANDARD
The Bible also speaks about double standards and here are few examples:
1. The most obvious example in the Old Testament is found in 2 Samuel 12:1-7
And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” Nathan said to David, “You are the man!
David was not only guilty about murder and adultery but also of having a double standard.
2. But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Galatians 2:11-15
3. Jesus Himself also condemned the religious leaders for teaching one thing and putting heavy burdens on peoples shoulders but they themselves not living up to the same standard that they expect from other people.
4. In James 2:1-4 we are given the following parabola: 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?
Whenever we make our judgement and decisions based on outwork appearance we be become guilty of having double standard. And James goes on to say in verse nine that whoever is showing this kind of partiality is committing a SIN.
Do we see our double standard as sin?
Romans 2:11 says that God does not show favoritism, there is no partiality in Him. The Bible says that: we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God or God's glorious standard. Non of us no matter how good or moral we might be can't reach the God's standard but He in His loving kindness has made a way for us to come into fellowship with Him. The Bible tell us that God the Father loved each one of us so much that He gave His only son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for our sins and by faith in Him and repentance we are justified through His grace by His redemptive work on the cross.
Now this solves the problem of our salvation but doesn't solve the problem of double standard in our everyday life, double standard that the Bible talks about.
So how are we to go through our daily life with no double standard in what we say and do? To be honest I don't have the answers but I do know that as we draw close to God, He draws close to us. As we fix our eyes on Him and gaze on His glory and beauty we are being transformed into His likeness so that we will reflecting who He is, His heart and His standards which are perfect!
King David prayed the following prayer:
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24
And I'll finish this blog with the words from one of Delirious songs:
Investigate my life and make me clean
Shine upon the darkest place in me
To you my life's an open book
So turn the page and take a look
Upon the life you've made
Always, my days, I'll praise
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