Am I paranoid of people who don’t look and act like me?

Exodus 1: ⁶ Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, ⁷ but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

⁸ Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. ⁹ “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. ¹⁰ Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

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A person of another race reached out to me to befriend me. Memories of acts of hatred from others of his race rushed to mind. “What does he want from me?” my suspicious mind conjured. I bet he is trying to steal my ideas.  I better put my guards up around this guy.

• When I become paranoid, I dream up the worst about people.
• When I become paranoid, I put up my guards.
• When I become paranoid, I go into self-preservation.

Call it a defense mechanism but I don’t like my hopes raised only to have them dashed to the ground, so I get ahead of the game by putting up my guards. If someone doesn’t look or act like me, I become suspicious.

• GOD says to me “open your heart to many and I will draw them to ME.”
• GOD says to me “stop looking on the outside so I can look on the inside.”
• GOD says to me “drop your defenses so my grace can consume all ills.”

GOD wants me to get out of the way of HIS grace.  When I place my judgmental attitude on someone, there is no room for grace.  Is there a chance I could get hurt? Yes, but GOD’s grace covers that too. HIS grace is sufficient.

• Are you paranoid over reaching out to someone who does not look like you?
• Do you dream up why you are different rather than think of what you have in common?
• Can you see others as GOD sees them?
• Won’t you reach out to those you feel paranoid about and help them seek GOD?

In memory of James Washington