Redeeming Ethnic Narratives

The Apostle Paul, in his own words was born into a deeply religious family; he was “of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews”, and he was a career (religious) man. He could have let his ethnicity and cultural background define his identity. In fact, these things had described his entire past before he met Christ. But upon encountering Christ, now his heart cry was knowing Christ. He let his identity be defined by Christ and as a result, he was used by God to touch many lives for His glory. Our background and ethnicity are gifts from God, however, instead of letting God use them as a tool to bless others, they can become a source of pride and a hindrance to the ministry of the Gospel. We must let Christ define our identity, not our culture. We must be Christians first, then our ethnicity. What happens when we get that mixed up?