Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover: "How Do I Stop Being Racist?"

Are you struggling with thinking racist thoughts? Saying racist or mean things? Well, that's not okay. God made us all beautifully and wonderfully, plus He has commanded us to love everyone. Here are some tips for finding the best in others and stopping yourself from allowing hurtful thoughts to run through your head.

      First and foremost, I would like to give a shout out to the young lady that came forward and asked this question. I thought it was very honorable of you to actually look inside, and recognize that something was awry in your ways of thinking, and then to pursue a solution!

      Being racist means to have unkind thoughts and/or say unkind things about someone of a certain race. Its not a good thing, and certainly not a characteristic that God wants us to have. Unfortunately, we live in a sinful world, and there are lots of things that make it kind of a joke -- like the media, friends, and sometimes family. Its important that we put our hearts in God's hands and let Him work in us, keeping us from conforming into what the world has called "okay".
     
      So, the first thing I'd advise you to do if you are suffering with racist thoughts, is to pray, and pray hard. I know, I know, you've heard this a zillion times. Pray, yeah right. Not gonna happen, because it wont work, right? No way!! It will work. God hears your prayers, even if they are silent, and maybe not completely directed to Him. It may take time, and lots of praying, but trust me, if you trust God, great things will come to be. I've seen it happen! When you hear yourself start to think or say something rude or destructive, stop immediately and lift it up to the Lord, asking Him to forgive you and help you to clear your heart and mind of harmful things such as that.

      Instead of thinking bad things about a person, try intently on spotting the very best in them. Do they have a really funny sense of humor? Are they super generous and willing to serve others for God? Look closely at their personality and what's inside them, not outside. When we judge a book by the cover, we completely miss out on whatever amazing things it holds inside. It could be the most lovely, beautiful, caring, and thrilling story ever, but how would you know, if you only look at the cover? Dig deeper and don't judge.

      I asked my best friend Zoe, whom I must "brag" about later on for being such an awesome best friend, what her thoughts were on this topic. She replied with a few main points:

      First, that its really just unkind. God loves us all, equally, and He wants us to love and accept others equally too. Racism is a very negative thing, and its not fun for the one who suffers because of it. God does not favor one person over another, so why should we? Color or race is not a valid reason.

      Second, it could cause problems for you. If people hear you talking bad about others, they might just start talking about you and your reputation will go down the drain. So ultimately, it could backfire on you!

    Lastly, try putting yourself in their shoes. How would you like to be treated rudely because of your color or race? It would not be fun. It would hurt you and possibly change you for the worse. Think about how you would start to feel about yourself? Not good, that's for sure. Well, that's how others may feel when you make comments or even just think hurtful things about them. Think about how they feel before you open your mouth or let those awful thoughts enter your mind.

    Racism is just plain old mean, and sometimes is as bad as bullying! People end their own lives everyday because of the terrible words spoke of them. No one wants to be held responsible for someone's death. Let this motivate you not to say or think anything unkind about someone else -- different color or not! Its really not hard to be nice, or to give a little compliment here and there. Give it a try and it just might help you get out of the nasty habit of racism.

Girls, guys, whoever is reading this, I pray that you took something from this, and use it to change your views about some things. To the girl who asked the question, I hope that this helps!

P.S ~ If anyone has any questions -- like this one, or totally different -- feel absolutely free to ask it! Whether by commenting or sending me an email, I'm always here to help!