The fact that a word we use today does not appear in the Bible does not mean that God is silent on the heart of the issue. With all the talk recently about this particular issue, I think it is good for us to take a moment to remind ourselves of what God’s perspective is and what our attitude should be. When we use the word “racism,” we are referring to the belief that all the members of a particular race posses characteristics or abilities that make it inferior or superior to another. Furthermore, this term carries the idea of hostile and unjust behavior based on a preconceived opinion, devoid of reason or experience. What does God have to say about this?

There is a song I love to sing, entitled “Servant Song,” yet I find myself challenged every time I consider the words of the song. Christians are servants—of God, of each other, of countless neighbors in the world. Even knowing this, it can be difficult to maintain the right attitude in our service. How am I to serve joyfully when my brother has wronged me? How do I continue to serve with zeal when my work is thankless and my efforts unnoticed? How do I continue to serve selflessly when my needs aren’t being addressed? Perhaps these and other questions have crossed your mind, but God gives us an answer and it begins with fixing our focus back on His Son.

“So whatever you wish others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) These familiar words of our Lord are often quoted by the worldly and spiritually minded alike. Nevertheless, His admonition is often disregarded by many of those doing the quoting. Some of the difficulty lies in the fact that this practice requires taking the initiative. Jesus does not say that we should treat others how we have been treated, instead we ought to treat others the way we ideally would prefer to be treated (even if we are rarely ever treated that way). This means not giving to another what I would not want, which does raise the question of whether what I want is good, but there are several basic good things the vast majority of humans desire. In seeking to give these things to others, there is a sense, though, in which we are giving what we have already gotten. “Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17) It is important to remember in our giving, that we can only give to others the good that God has already given to us. It is equally important to remember that we could never give to others any amount that would equal the good that God has already given to us.

“Dress for success.” Have you ever heard this phrase? Typically, this is advice in the business world, instructing all who would succeed in obtaining a job or promotion to dress like the people who have already succeeded in achieving that goal. Does this mean that somehow the clothes I wear can improve my character, work ethic, or desirable skills? If there is any such clothing line, it certainly has eluded me. Nevertheless, this phrase contains a greater principle that is applicable to everyone.

Am I really only composed of the things which I digest on a daily basis? No, this is obviously not literally true, but is there a principle in this saying which is true? While there are many more things that make up a person than simply what he eats, one’s food intake does have an impact on his health and wellness. There is an easily observable cause and effect relationship between ingesting something unhealthy, contaminated, or toxic and the sickness and weakness that follows. What of our spirits? Can our “spiritual diets” be full of foods which make us sick and weak?

“How are you?” I’d imagine that this question (or some derivative, “How’s it going?”, “How are you feeling?” or “How are you doing?”) is probably asked and answered several thousands of times each day. I know I’ve answered with the nearly mindless “fine” without giving much thought. But yesterday I decided to take inventory and really consider how I was doing. It was not pretty.