If you have a burden to work against racism pursue it, but don’t leave Christ out:
God gives everyone a burden and a passion to pursue and address in life. If eradicating racism is your passion then go for it. I personally believe that racism will always exist until Jesus comes back because it is a heart issue, and the hearts of men in every generation will need to be changed as their minds are transformed by the renewing of God’s word. However, men need preachers and teachers on every subject that concerns the hearts of man in order to have their minds renewed, and racism is one of those subjects.
Why is dealing with racism important? It is important because it is an issue of justice and cannot be avoided because it is often forced on people. There are several passages of scripture where God talks about how important justice is to him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne. – Psalms 89:14
He has told you O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. – Micah 6:8
Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. – Proverbs 31:9
Afeni Shakur, mother of the slain rapper Tupac Shakur shared things she has learned during her fight for justice:
First, she centers on what is most important saying:
“I am a product of the redemption of Christ Jesus.” She continued saying, “I believe the Black Panther party we felled because we took God out. I beg you not to do the same thing. If you take God out precious babies you are not going anywhere except to jail, to be killed, and you are going to stay angry.”
She also gave wisdom sharing that she learned that she could not take on and change every problem, but if everyone focuses on one particular problem, we all together will be able to eradicate problems.
Watch video at the end of this article.
Finally our Identity in Christ Insulates us from the insults of Racism:
God made man in his image and likeness and added additional value to our lives by sending his son Jesus to die for us. This will be our value forever, not what is imposed on us by men especially broken men who do not have a clue of what really matters.
A person choosing to stand against racism will have to be secure in his identity in Christ. It’s only then that the insults hurled at us don’t matter because we know who we are. Just as God’s word doesn’t change or pass away our worth will never diminish or pass away because our worth is sealed in God’s word.
When we walk out our identity in Jesus Christ, It doesn’t matter what we are faced with. We know that we are fully accepted and fully loved as God’s sons and daughters. This view of ourselves will give us the power we need to continue to love all man-kind no matter the color, and even if a person holds a racist view.
Those who hold racist views do not understand their own worth and value to Christ, they do not understand that their future is not defined by an elite class maintaining control, but by God himself. Racism is an anti-love trap imposed on people to bring them down to the level of perpetrating the bondage of racism. Do not allow it to bring you down to its level. Do not give in to hate those who hate you, or to become bitter, but stand tall and strong knowing your sure value and worth so much so that you can bear insults and become a witness to those who hate you.
Love isn’t love until it is tested.
Can you past the test of racism? Can you forgive those who have allowed the bug of racism to bite them? Can you allow hints of White supremacy to roll off of you while you walk as if you represent the highest supremacy there is, Jesus Christ.
I so absolutely love the new movie, “Marshall.” It’s a movie about the civil rights attorney, Thurgood Marshall. He had so much confidence and assurance in who he was in the film, that when others hurled insults at him because of his race, he made jokes about it and kept on rolling on with the plan at hand. That’s how we have to be—bold, secure, and unmoved.
We, like Thurgood, have to keep the vision at hand of what we are here for and focus on that instead.
Representing Jesus and his love for us is what it is all about. Let’s not be distracted by racism, but overcome it by wisdom, work, forgiveness, and love.
Leave a Reply