But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Philippians 3:7

 

We all need hope. Life seems to be so draining today. COVID-19, Murder Hornets, Crazy Rats, tropical storms, and Racial Injustice all put a strain on our society. By the way, what happened to those Murder Hornets?

Our country is experiencing a crisis of historical racism passed down from generation to generation. Condescending thoughts and fearful feelings about people who are African American only increase the distance between equality that should exist.

Protests in the streets of many cities explode with anger, rioting, and destruction of personal property. Some have said this is acceptable because it is a way to get attention for a specific cause. Protests are fine; destruction of property is not. So how can we learn to work through these issues?

I heard Emmanuel Acho put it this way, “I as a black man have to calculate every move I make from the second I walk outside my house.” In contrast, white privilege is “the ability to live life unconsciously.” I believe the first step in reconciliation and healing is to try and understand things from the point of view of others. Racism is the belief that your particular ethnicity has some power, control, or authority over another ethnicity. Is this how you feel?

Don’t get me wrong. It is not my desire to convict anyone this morning, but to cause you to think and give you great hope.

There is hope.

 

Paul Needed God’s Hope

I find it very interesting that Paul breathed “threats and murder against the disciples” and others of his ethnic group (Acts 9). Paul was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin but had no problem imprisoning his people because they did not believe as he did. So Paul would round them up, punish them, place them in prison, and wait to approve their execution. He took punishment into his own hands. Sounds reasonable? Not at all. God had other plans for this master of fear.

Paul needed hope and didn’t even realize it. Maybe that is you. Maybe you need hope and don’t even realize it.

 

Paul Experienced God’s Hope

One day, Paul was on his way to Damascus to round up additional prisoners. But God had other plans and set up a meeting with Paul. This meeting would change Paul’s heart, mindset, and view of others. His trusted Christ and his heart changed. Instead of chasing others, others chased him. He experienced victory over his perceptions of Christians because he became one.  

When Paul placed his trust in Jesus, things changed. It was immediate and life-changing.

When God calls a person to transformational change, it sticks. It’s not just a behavior change. It’s a heart change. It is a fundamental change in the way you view others. It is an inward change that expresses itself in an outward way. The same compassion and grace God showed us should be evident in what we do and say as we offer that same grace to others. Paul grew up as a privileged Jew who was groomed to become a fierce Pharisee. He had the best teachers and grew up with a career path unrivaled by many.

You Can Experience that Same Hope

Philippians 3:7 describes the hope in Christ and the change that occurs. Those things Paul gained because of his privilege, he counted as bad after placing his trust in Christ. You can experience that same hope by placing your faith in Christ and His forgiveness of your sins. 

Take a few minutes today and examine your heart. Do you experience racist attitudes towards others who are different than you? Are you a racist? Do you look down on others as Paul did? You can escape those feelings by trusting Christ. Paul did, and it changed his future forever. Those who Paul persecuted were now those who Paul genuinely loved. 

When Jesus changes your heart, he changes it forever!