Problems with Being Prejudiced

 It is part of our human nature to be apprehensive about people who are different from us. I suppose it is because we are not sure how they will act or what they will think about us. This leads us to be negative toward those people, even though we do not know them at all. We prejudge them because they are different from us in their outward appearance, their religion, or their nationality. This causes us all kinds of problems.

A Levite was taking his concubine home. The sun was about to set, so he needed to enter the city of Jebus  and find a place to spend the night.. (Judges 19:12) However, he told his servant that they would not turn aside into a city of foreigners, who were not of the children of Israel. They would go on to Gibeah. This ended up in the death of his concubine after the men of Gibeah abused her all night long.

As Christians, we are not to be prejudiced toward any group of people because God loves everyone, and He doesn't look on the outward appearance but on our hearts. We should do the same. If we are prejudiced, we end up missing some of the most meaningful relationships we could ever experience. We live in fear of people, and we avoid doing things that God would have us to do. It is a sin and a terrible way to live.

The truth is that we can't trust the people who are like us just because they are like us. We have to be open to all people and get to know them. Then, we can see we are all made in God's image. We can benefit from the diversity, instead of being afraid of it. Therefore, I pray that we will all reject our flesh when we feel led to be prejudiced in any way.

#NHBaptistdotorg

Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 20-21 and Ruth 1.