Racism is a forager of human souls. Racism like any other evil comes only to steal, to kill and to destroy our human soul (John 10:10). It hunts down, possesses and haunts its perpetrators, human targets or wounded souls. Only willing and receptive human souls can become recruits of a spirit of racism. The door to your heart has to be open before you can receive a mindset of the tradition of racism. The Bible clearly tells us that we must resist the devil [evil] and he will flee from us (James 4:7). Many Christians can testify to this because we have in one way or another either resisted temptation and overcame or fell to it and made a huge mistake that we regretted. Even non-Christians can relate to this, as every person is tempted daily and either chooses to overcome the temptation and do what is right, or elects to do what is wrong.

Perhaps, for some, accepting and perpetrating racism has its benefits within the society, especially in environments where economic dominance favors a racist culture. In other words, some individuals feel like they need to support a system, whether it is fair or unfair that favors them economically. For humans there is always the driver by social adaptation for self-preservation. Therefore, racism within any society goes beyond just discrimination based on race or ethnicity. There is also the fear and insecurity of losing the economic control or dominance that fuels the minds of those who foster racism.

Unfortunately, any society that is accepting of racism, whether overtly or covertly, invites in a very powerful negative spirit of dislike, hostility, hate, or separation and continuous division among its people of different races or ethnicity. Such a society remains on the surface as one, but underneath it are numerous pockets of division fueled by racial prejudice. As Christians or even non-Christians, there are positive steps that we as individuals can take to overcome the spirit of racism.

1. Acknowledge that all human beings are born equal and in the image of an excellent God (Genesis 1:27). For those who are not Christians, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 1-30), Article 1 states that, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." By acknowledging the equal humanity of all people, you take the first step to shutting the door of your heart to the spirit of racism.

2. Start with an honest self-examination. Search within your heart for your own prejudices (James 17:9-10). Pray for God's help and guidance. If you are Christian, ask God's Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27) to tell you what prejudices that you may harbor that stem from racial bias or other preconceived notions or judgment (Proverbs 20:27).

3. Repent, that is to change and make the decision to dispel prejudiced or racist thoughts whenever they dare to crop up in your mind. Choose not to judge people based on any racial prejudice that society or anyone presents to you. Think of how painful it may be to you if someone judged you based on your own race or any other preconceived notion. So, apply the universal principle that says, do to others as you wish them to do to you.

4. Do not be hypocritical about your repentance. True repentance means actual change from your previous negative ways to positive ways. Do not say that you have no prejudiced thoughts and yet you act in a racist manner.

5. Quietly, begin to make amends for your previous prejudiced or racist thoughts, words or actions by reaching out to people's hearts and choosing not to judge them by their skin color, race, ethnicity, religion or even nationality.

6. Forgive yourself for your own prejudiced or racist attitudes and forgive others for theirs as well. Forgiveness releases you from the stronghold of accusing others all the time and from condemning yourself.

7. Do not be discouraged when people seem suspicious of your genuine expression of a spirit of reconciliation. The most important thing is your true motive and intent. If your heart is right then it really does not matter what others think.

8. Do not seek to be accepted by others, rather seek to accept others, regardless of their race, ethnicity or nationality.

9. Whenever you have the opportunity, talk to others about the foolishness in racism and use your own experiences with racism or positive change to show them that one does not have to accept the spirit of racism or any society's tradition of racial prejudice. If you are a Christian, remember how God showed Apostle Peter in a vision that he should stop being prejudiced (Acts 10:9-15, 28-34) and how Peter shared with others this experience that changed his life (Acts 10:27-29).

10. Daily applaud God's beaming rays of victory over racism in your own life through prayer and offering forgiveness to others and to yourself.

References:

The Holy Bible: Genesis 1:26-27; Proverbs 20:27; John 10:10; Romans 8:26-27; James 4:7, 17:9-10; Acts 10:9-15, 27-34

United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 1-30) (All Human Rights for All Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948).