God’s Solution on Racism

Be Strong, Be Well — Wednesday, August 4, 2021

God told Samuel to go to Jesse’s house and anoint the new king of Israel from among his sons. As seven of these young men began to pass by, starting with the oldest, Samuel thought he had found the new king when he saw the very first one. “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his physical stature because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Samuel learned an important lesson that day. God refused all seven of these men as they passed by. The one son who remained was David, the youngest, who was watching the sheep in the fields. They summoned him to come. When David walked in, “The LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” (16:12).

Long ago, these words from God Himself give us the remedy to end racism and inequality in this world. It will work if we implement His simple rule in our everyday thinking and practice.

Although we cannot see into someone’s heart and soul, we can see who and what kind of person they are by their words and actions. Let’s look beyond the outward appearance and look closer at who people are. We hope they will do the same for us. We can’t do anything about the color of our skin, which is a circumstance of our birth. But we all can be the very best person we can be, regardless of color. God gave all of His human creation this same ability. —Chris