The saddest effect of racism isn’t what others think or say about you, but what you, after being targeted by racist remarks, end up believing about yourself.

Try this on. Do you believe that the sky’s the limit for your life, that if you can dream it, you can be it? Or do you privately believe, somewhere deep down in your soul, that what culture and others have said about you is true?

None of what others say about us would mean anything if we didn’t do our part to internalize and accept it. We all fall prey to culture when we forget what God says about us, especially when we listen to those who’ve miscalculated our worth.

That’s why it’s so critical that we censor the information we allow into our minds and souls.

We must filter everything we are told about ourselves through the lens of God’s truth.

The best way to prevent culture’s lies from permeating your mind is to repeat the following proclamations out loud, in the mirror, each and every day:

I am made in the image of God.

I am created to reflect the glory of God, and not the limitations of man.

I will only speak honorably about myself and everyone I meet.

I am worthy of God’s best for my life.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Notice that God made it very clear that each of us was made in a certain way. He could have just declared that it was He who created Adam and Eve and kept it at that – which is what He did with the rest of creation. But when it came to humans, He didn’t stop there. He said that He made men and women to be just like Him – the highest honor in all of creation.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27)

Think about the enormity of that statement. Think of all that we could accomplish if we fully believed and embraced the glory of God’s image within us. Our God-given potential is literally mind boggling.

So let me ask you: what do you believe about yourself, in light of your worth to God? Do you believe what culture and others, especially your critics, say about you – or do you believe what God says about you?

Zephaniah 3:17 says that God “rejoices over you with singing.” That sounds like something a mighty proud Father would do. Moreover, He says that we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:14). He’s made our worth abundantly clear throughout the Scriptures. He’s even proven the extent of His love for us through the sacrifice of His beloved Son (John 3:16).

Everything in the Scriptures points to God’s love for us - His sacred identity and calling on our lives. What you do with it is your choice. My prayer is that you’ll trade the lies of culture for His truth, every single time.

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*Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash