Four Steps to Overcoming Prejudice and Racism
Jul 16, 2020
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Dear Friend,
A friend of mine was walking late at night and found himself lost. A group of mean people found him before he found his way out of the neighborhood and he was brutally beaten and robbed. A priest came by, saw him and crossed the street. A pastor came by, saw him and kept walking. A guy from a mixed-race family saw the man, had compassion, and took him to get help, and at his own expense took care of the man until he was well again.
You can read the full story in Luke 10:25-37.
While there are many angles we could take to the story of the Good Samaritan, what ultimately made the Good Samaritan good is that he thought:
“If I were him (her), how would I want me to be?”
In light of what is going on the world today, can we pause and just ask for one minute, “If I were him (her), how would I want me to be?”
While selfishness in its many forms is the most common sin in the world, one way that self-focus expresses itself is through prejudice.
Laws have been written in every civilized country to stop racism, but the law is not the solution because it cannot change hearts. Only God can change someone’s heart, and when we unify as the exciting Body of Christ, we have a role to play to change our world for good.
You may not think that you can do much to be a world-changer, but you can change your part of the world. When we join with other believers around the world, we are an unstoppable force for good.
Snowflakes are fragile, but if enough of them sit together, they can stop traffic!
Here are four Biblical steps every Christian can take to deal with racism:
- Pray!
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, NLT)
Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscles of omnipotence!
- See people as God does.
“... The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, NLT)
Pause and ponder when you are tempted to pre-judge someone, “Why am I thinking like this right now? How does God want me to be thinking? How can I change my attitude or preconceived ideas?”
- Listen (with understanding)
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” (James 1:19, NLT)
Prejudice is a result of our failure to listen to people with understanding. Understanding is not the same as agreeing! We do not have to agree with everything they say or their perspective - but LISTEN with a view toward understanding empathy, because this person is thinking and acting in a way that makes sense to them!
- Love everyone the way Jesus does.
“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” (John 15:12, NLT)
Only loving as Jesus does will eradicate prejudice and racism.
Think, “If I were him (her), how would I want me to be?”
- What were some negative stereotypes you harbored in your life that you later discovered to be false as you got to know different types of people? How has that changed the way you interact with others?
Rejoicing, On the Victory Side!
Beau
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