“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” I Peter 4:10
Living and working in a major metropolitan area, and having two daughters who teach in Philadelphia schools often brings me into conversations about topics such as racial inequalities, poverty, and the brokenness experienced in our world. What’s termed as white privilege is oftentimes brought up in the North American context in particular. While this is an important issue for Christians address, I sensed the Spirit prompting me on a related topic of late: Christian Privilege.
If you are a Christian, then you are experiencing the privileges of being united to Christ. At the moment you began your journey with Jesus (accepted God’s free gift), you were forgiven, cleansed, restored and redeemed to His higher purposes for your life. John 1 describes you as being “born again”. In that moment, the Spirit of God miraculously demonstrated His newfound presence in your life, by starting to bear fruit in and through you. The Bible tells us that the work of the Spirit produces: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (or faith), gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5).
Your salvation and the Holy Spirit’s work in you, are because of God’s grace toward you (Romans 5:8, 6:23). This is a privilege that is undeserved.
The question God prompted me on this week is this, “What do I do with my Christian privilege?” In other words, am I sharing the love God has lavished on me with others? The nature of our relationship with Christ and the Spirits work in us, is such that it should naturally and thoughtfully impact those around us. And I Peter says we should “in and out of season share the reason for this otherworldly hope-peace” we have in Christ” (paraphrase).
When we as Christians don’t actively live out our faith through word and deed, we selfishly hoard God’s graces for ourselves and live as people of privilege.
Oftentimes, my mind wanders to the “what ifs”. What if no one ever shared with me the Gospel? What if Joe Valentine never sat me down and explained God’s love and desire to have a relationship with me when I was a Freshmen in High School? What if I never connected into a strong Christian community that discipled and nurtured me in my new found faith as a teenager? What if my parents never thought it important to discuss God at home? What if?
These “what ifs” birth renewed gratefulness to God and a desire to share the Good News with others.
I have Christian privilege. You have Christian privilege. Let’s band together to spread our privilege to others. Let’s take Jesus’ call to us in Matthew 28 and “go and make disciples!”
You can find out more about creating movement of disciplemaking by reading our articles on the web site or attending a seminar with one of our alliance partners listed on the alliance partner page.
