A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
Discrimination, which is a form of rejection, includes the emotions of loneliness, unacceptance, unforgiveness, fear, anger, and guilt. These emotions, left unchecked, can manifest into both mental and physical health issues for those who experience them, as documented in a recent APA study called Stress In America – The Impact of Discrimination.
The latest bandaid that Americans have come up with to fight discrimination is diversity management. Political in nature, diversity management promotes racial and behavioral unity through communication and understanding of feelings, terminology, promotion of policy to enable minority advancement, and education/exercises in tolerance to accept certain behaviors as normal. Diversity management is seen in many corporations, public education institutions, and now we are even seeing it in churches and Christian education institutions.
While this sounds wonderful on the surface, because it does give minorities more opportunity and a voice, it promotes division by concentrating on differences instead of what unifies us as the human race. Guilt is frequently used as a tool for change, which is very unhealthy. As well, these programs do not teach the new generations about the power of forgiveness.
As Christians, we are called to live counter to our culture and handle stress of any kind through the truth of the Word of God. Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. When we do this, our body and our mind are in a state of gratitude to the Father above for releasing us from this stress and this allows us to live in peace and harmony on the inside with everyone, which in turn brings us better mental and physical health.
As ambassadors for Christ living and working in the world among those that have embraced cultural coping mechanisms, God encourages us to love, and minister to those in need. Philippians 2:3-4: Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. This is much different from the acceptance taught in Diversity 101 because sometimes this means having hard conversations with people about their life. We should love people enough to want their internal healing more than we want their approval or acceptance.
Geneva College states on their web page entitled, A Christian View of Diversity that “Multicultural diversity, then, is not to be spurned by the Christian community. Rather, Christians and Christian communities have a special obligation to demonstrate the reality of Christ’s culture-transforming love. In obeying the twin mandates of the Cultural Mandate and the Great Commission, we will discover more and more of the creational blessedness of multicultural diversity as human beings who are reconciled to God and to each other because of Jesus Christ our Lord.” I tend to agree.
Christian to Christian, when it comes to stress caused by stereotypical comments, racial slurs, jokes in poor taste, or a complete unawareness of actions due to learned behavior, we are to confront and not cower. We must go to our brother and/or sister in Christ and use scripture to admonish and teach. 2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
Likewise, when we hurt someone intentionally or unintentionally with our words and actions, we should feel convicted and humble ourselves at the foot of the cross, apologize, and ask for forgiveness. Ephesians 4:32: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. James 5:16 :Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
If you are experiencing mental or physical health issues that stem from the pain of discrimination/rejection in your life or if you have participated in this sin and feel guilty, God wants to heal your emotional pain! Remember always that He is the great Physician and the great “I Am”.
1 Peter 2:24: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
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Great blog, Stephanie. This issue hits really close to home. Thank you for approaching it with love and a sound kind and not fear.
Thank you Alison! I appreciate it. Everyone deals with this issue at some level and it’s important as Christians that we hear from the Lord about it!
Great blog, Stephanie. This issue hits really close to home. Thank you for approaching it with love and a sound kind and not fear.
Thank you Alison! I appreciate it. Everyone deals with this issue at some level and it’s important as Christians that we hear from the Lord about it!
How brave and bold of you to write this! I am so excited to see a Christian call it out as our duty to live well with our brothers and sisters all over the world. Thank you for being truthful about this issue’s pain, hurt etc and then how to resolve it. I am shocked at those of us who are Christians but feel comfortable to discriminate against others for the color of their skin or their gender. This is so deep! Thank you!
Ladell,
Sooo good to hear from you!! You are welcome. God has a message for all of us regarding this important topic and I am learning a lot from Him right now about this. God Bless You!
How brave and bold of you to write this! I am so excited to see a Christian call it out as our duty to live well with our brothers and sisters all over the world. Thank you for being truthful about this issue’s pain, hurt etc and then how to resolve it. I am shocked at those of us who are Christians but feel comfortable to discriminate against others for the color of their skin or their gender. This is so deep! Thank you!
Ladell,
Sooo good to hear from you!! You are welcome. God has a message for all of us regarding this important topic and I am learning a lot from Him right now about this. God Bless You!
I love this post; it’s a real issue in the body of the Christ and if you’re in a country where the majority is blissfully unaware of your experience it can sometimes feel like you are rejected twice in the body of Christ. I like this statement because it’s so true – “While this sounds wonderful on the surface, because it does give minorities more opportunity and a voice, it promotes division by concentrating on differences instead of what unifies us as the human race. Guilt is frequently used as a tool for change, which is very unhealthy. As well, these programs do not teach the new generations about the power of forgiveness.”
Of course, as a minority, I’ve dealt with discrimination but I have learned that forgiveness and love is potent.
Thank you so much for your comment! God really laid this on my heart last week and I just had to share it. He has so many answers for us, but we so often let our own way of dealing with things get in the way. God bless you!!
I love this post; it’s a real issue in the body of the Christ and if you’re in a country where the majority is blissfully unaware of your experience it can sometimes feel like you are rejected twice in the body of Christ. I like this statement because it’s so true – “While this sounds wonderful on the surface, because it does give minorities more opportunity and a voice, it promotes division by concentrating on differences instead of what unifies us as the human race. Guilt is frequently used as a tool for change, which is very unhealthy. As well, these programs do not teach the new generations about the power of forgiveness.”
Of course, as a minority, I’ve dealt with discrimination but I have learned that forgiveness and love is potent.
Thank you so much for your comment! God really laid this on my heart last week and I just had to share it. He has so many answers for us, but we so often let our own way of dealing with things get in the way. God bless you!!
Great post and glad I found the linkup!
Thank you!
Great post and glad I found the linkup!
Thank you!
I am encouraged by the scriptures you shared in this post and they are quite timely…as God always is. There is a conversation that I will need to participate in, in a very diverse culture than one I typically find myself functioning within. However, I am confident of His sovereign grace and the description of a ‘Christian View of Diversity’ you shared really spoke to my heart. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Blessings,
Dawn
Dawn,
So glad that the Lord encouraged your heart through the post. I will be praying for your conversation that it will be seasoned with His grace and that His Spirit will speak through you. Take care and have a blessed evening!
I am encouraged by the scriptures you shared in this post and they are quite timely…as God always is. There is a conversation that I will need to participate in, in a very diverse culture than one I typically find myself functioning within. However, I am confident of His sovereign grace and the description of a ‘Christian View of Diversity’ you shared really spoke to my heart. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Blessings,
Dawn
Dawn,
So glad that the Lord encouraged your heart through the post. I will be praying for your conversation that it will be seasoned with His grace and that His Spirit will speak through you. Take care and have a blessed evening!