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How Do I Overcome Racist Thoughts and Feelings?

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How Do I Overcome Racist Thoughts and Feelings?

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A silhouette of a person stand on a hill with the sun in the background. Yatharth Roy Vibhakar/Unsplash
Overcoming racist thoughts and feelings requires a change of mind and seeing all people as God sees them—as made in His image, with the same glorious future potential to be in His eternal family.

Racism is one of the most hotly debated and discussed topics of the past several years, with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, consistent news coverage and analysis, college classes focused entirely on the topic and large-scale societal discussions of repatriation, restitution and equity.

While there have been a lot of discussion revolving around this topic, a definition of what constitutes racism has proven difficult to nail down. In its simplest form, when a person looks at individuals of another race or culture as inferior to themselves in some way based purely on the color of their skin and not the content of their character, then by definition that person has exhibited racist thoughts and feelings.

Overcoming racist thoughts and feelings requires a change of mind and seeing all people as God sees them—as made in His image, with the same glorious future potential to be in His eternal family.

The apostle Paul makes the point that when it comes to spiritual inheritance, gender, social class and race make no difference. God sees all of his creation as potential children in His family. If a person is baptized in Christ and receives God’s Holy Spirit through the process we see outlined in scripture, and if that individual yields themselves to God’s Holy Spirit, allowing it to lead them, then they are heirs of the promise, the very children of God (Galatians 3:28, Romans 8:14).

It doesn’t matter if they are black or white. It doesn’t matter if they are poor or well-off, it doesn’t matter if they are male or female. The presence of God’s Holy Spirit within them unifies them as one body in Christ Jesus (Romans 12).

As a result of this—when we pass judgment on someone else because of the color of their skin, we exhibit partiality, which is sin (James 2:9). We must repent of that sin and bring ourselves in line with God’s own viewpoint on the topic of race outlined in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Repentance comes from the Greek word, metanoeó, meaning “to change one’s mind.” As Christians we are all striving to change our minds and put on the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). We must pray to God and ask for repentance from a great number of things, but if we are specifically struggling with racist thoughts and feelings, praying to God earnestly to change our mind and help us to see the potential in all of mankind is essential.

Our great God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34-35). He shows no partiality, calling people of every race and land (Acts 17:26-27). We must repent and believe in the Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15) and work to bring every thought into captivity (2 Corinthians 10:5) as we mature to the full measure of the stature of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

Social Issues racism Repentance

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Comments

  • jerry biles
    jerry biles

    But see they want us to not see their sin and so anything they do is ok and we should think that it is all good it is not
    jerry

  • colt2000
    Terri Oliver-Crabbe

    As an African-American who has lived outside this country (as missionaries) and has the benefit of objectivity, I am alarmed at the extent of the under-informed among my 'white' family in Christ. It confirms the adage, "if you don't learn from history, you're doomed to repeat it." Also, if you dismiss or are afraid to study history, you are liable to espouse just about anything. Why history?...to learn how the ghettos, and it's culture, got that way.

    We are one human race. Any further breakdown of "races" is pure construct designed to segregate, subjugate and promote supremacism. God chose Abraham because he believed God. The person God chose could have been from any body of people. The fact that God pulled his people apart from surrounding peoples in the Old Testament has to do with the worship of idols, and when Jesus came, the Word was spread to ALL peoples. Those who also believed became Sons of God and heirs of Abraham's blessings. May I recommend John Piper's "Bloodlines" and Creation Ministries International's "One Human Family", written by Carl Wieland.

    My comments are not posted on many white evangelical sites, and I have been blocked before. Et tu, UCG?

  • Juan Stephanus Cloete
    Jan Cloete

    The main problem of rassism is of all the mixing of nations all over the world. The Scripture tells us not to mix with other nations because you will fall. So rassism on its own is correct because you want to be apart from other nations but in this world it is not possible anymore. Looking at anybody and you thinking you are better is nothing to do with rassism but yourself because you not a true believer. Rassism will never stop until we do it the way of the Scripture. Mix cultures does not work. All races wants to be ruled by them self!

  • p.mullet
    David Smith

    I would like to know who wrote this, because they do not know the Holy Scriptures, nor do they understand Greek. A gross misunderstanding of early Greek and the mis-translation of words has caused many to fall. Black Lives Matter (Sic) is all about them living off of those who work and them gaining everything for nothing, they are the racists people, causing riots, burning everything in their path, targeting cops, firefighters and all who oppose them. I have written several papers on Greek words, and translations, and learned more than ever by opening my mind to YAHWEH and HIS teaching, and NOT those of "man", I will not even dignify you with the capital "M" here because you have not shown me that you are of HaAdam, or The Adam.

  • Skip Miller
    Skip Miller

    Hello Paul,
    I'm not sure what you are apparently so upset about.
    The author of the piece presented a balanced presentation of how some people struggle with racist thoughts. Other people, obviously do not. But you seem to feel that the author did not understand Greek correctly. I didn't see that that was his (or her) point. So, perhaps you could write again and tell me what you are really concerned about. I do agree that some people do not like to work but my experience has been that that dislike has little if anything to do with race.

  • colt2000
    Terri Oliver-Crabbe

    Hi Skip,
    I appreciate that you have not responded to the article in a knee-jerk fashion. As an African-American who has lived outside this country (missionaries) and have the benefit of looking at the USA from the outside, I am alarmed at the extent of the under-informed among my brothers and sisters in Christ. It confirms the adage, 'if you don't learn from history, you're doomed to repeat it.' Also, if you dismiss history or are afraid to study it, you are liable to espouse just about anything. We are one human race. Any further breakdown of "races" is a pure construct designed to subjugate, dominate and promote supremacism. God chose Abraham because he believed God. The person God chose could have been from any body of people. The fact that God pulled his people apart from surrounding peoples in the Old Testament has to do with the worship of idols, and when Jesus came, the Word was spread to all peoples. Those who also believed became Sons of God and heirs of Abraham's blessings, and that message was spread abroad to ALL mankind. May I recommend John Piper's "Bloodlines" and Creation Ministries International's "One Human Family", written by Carl Wieland.

  • Steven Britt
    Steven Britt

    You've made no actual point that I can discern. The only reference to Greek in the article was that the word for repentance encompasses the idea of "to change one's mind." That is, in fact, a major component of the meaning of that word, so I really don't see what point you're trying to make there.

    The article was neither endorsing nor disparaging Black Lives Matter, but simply noting that it is one of many manifestations of racial tension in our country. Either way, you shouldn't make such sweeping generalizations - no group is that monolithic.

  • derrickrose73@gmail.com
    Derrick N. Smith

    Thank you Mr. Britt. You hit the nail on the head! The real problem with this topic is the source of the problem. The 'prince of the power of the air'. That spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2: 1-3). Satan hates us all, and is the real source of these attitudes of rank hostility that people have against one another. However, acknowledgement of one's own personal stand on this topic is the beginning of its resolution. 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18, 34; 39-40). You cannot have a right relationship with God without settling that issue within yourself (1 John 4:20-12). Furthermore, this love of God does no harm to its neighbor (Romans 13:10). And, you can ask God for this love, and, He will give it to you (Romans 5:5; Luke 11:13; Acts 5:32))!

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