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April 23, 2021

There is Only One

April 23, 2021 by SHIRLEY RALSTON IDENTITY God's Image Connecting with nationals Identity in Christ Intercultural relationships Raising kids cross-culturally
There is Only One
  • by SHIRLEY RALSTON
  • Comment
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:27-28

My generation came of age during the civil rights movement in the United States. We grew up watching race riots on tv and listening to fiery rhetoric from our politicians. Busing, discrimination, segregation, and integration all became familiar terms. The vitriol was especially high in the southern state where I lived. Racial tension was the back story of my formative years. When my junior high integrated, the kids in our district, black and white, were thrown together into one school. It was a grand social experiment for which none of us were prepared. We were children, unable to fully understand the impact of that extraordinary time. As a young unbeliever, I was vulnerable to the prejudicial attitudes and behaviors of my community and my family of origin. They shaped my worldview for decades to come.  


When I came to know the Lord in my twenties, a providential invitation led me to a diverse women’s Bible study with solid biblical teaching. Our leader’s instruction one day on Galatians 3:27-28 was a moment of truth, “There is only one race, the human race.” That day, God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s conviction set me on a path that transformed my worldview on race and identity, especially our identity in Christ. It was one of many experiences God used to prepare me for cross-cultural living and ministry overseas. 


Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians is clear: whether lost or found, we are all made in the image of God and equally valued. We are unique individuals, yes, but neither race, socio-economic status, politics, or gender are of any consequence before the Lord. He only wants people everywhere to know Him as Messiah. 


I encourage you to take some time today to reflect on your past life experiences. Rest assured that God has used them to prepare you for ministry among the beautiful diversity of the human race. Remember that Christ’s treatment of others, regardless of their ethnicity or station in life, has given us the example to follow. Remember, the only identity that really matters is our identity in Christ. 


“Your life has intrinsic value, not simply because of who you are as an individual, but because of who He is as your God.” Hannah Anderson [1]

[1] https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/7306433.Hannah_Anderson

Closing Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to see the souls of the people you bring before us, to look beyond the outward appearance of a person and into their need for salvation. Remind us of the truth of your Word, that all are made in your image and that you want none to perish. You have made us ready and you will continue to strengthen us to do the work you prepared in advance for us to do. Amen.
Resources
Book: Made for More: An Invitation to Live in God's Image by Hannah Anderson I found this book to be a helpful reminder of my own identity as an image bearer and to see God’s image in other women as well. As a woman living overseas, I struggled with who I was and where I fit within my new culture. This resource helps to clarify where our true identity lies, and how that can shape our unique callings to family, education, work, and ministry as we live out our lives overseas.
Question for Reflection

How have your past experiences with race and culture influenced the ministry God has given you in this season of life?

Comments
Shirley Ralston
April 23, 2021

After I became a Christian, I spent five years studying God’s Word in a women’s Bible study that was comprised of ladies from all different backgrounds and ethnicities. My studies continued at a Bible college and eventually in seminary, both environments that were even more diverse. As a student, and an employee, God exposed me to a healthy, biblical worldview of the body of Christ and of all people created in His image. I didn’t realize it at the time, but God was preparing me for cross-cultural living overseas. I still went through culture shock, but because of my past experiences, I was able to filter my transition through the lens of biblical truth about the human race.