This week we will address a couple of basic principles on how we can make disciples of ethnic groups, and teach them to observe all that the Lord commanded. I will use the African ethnic group in what we address here, mostly because they are the ethnic group that I have a heart for, and have therefore studied the most. Even so, these principles could relate to any people.

From the time I was a child, I have heard blacks stereotyped by such statements as “they don’t like to work,” or “their men are all deadbeats and do not know how to be fathers.” In my experience, some of the hardest workers, as well as some of the greatest fathers I have ever known were African-American. However, African-Americans do have a reputation for not wanting to work, and it is a fact that the majority of black children in America are raised without their father in the home. Even so, God has especially gifted those of African descent with a devotion to work, and to be some of the best fathers. Why do so many African-Americans seem to be experiencing what is in fact the opposite of their callings?

It is for the same reason that every ethnic group in this fallen world is doing the same, and the devil has effectively blinded them. Let’s look at some of the ways that he has done this.

First, what did slavery do to the work ethic? Now you may think your boss is bad, but how would you like to work with the threat of a whip over you all day? Then think about what it would be like to not get paid for your work, while being given the most menial sustenance to enable you to keep working. On top of that, you would have no rights because you are not considered a person, but property, just like cattle.

We may think that slavery has been abolished for more than a century so this should not be a problem with the descendants of slaves. But history proves over and over that without God intervening, cultural values, cultural wounds, and strongholds, can take many generations to change, and sometimes never do. After suffering the injustices of slavery, for any African-American to want to work at all is a marvel. The fact is, many from this ethnic background are so remarkably industrious that as a group, these great people are doing much better than one might expect in this matter.

There have only been two people groups in history who were enslaved because of their race—the black race, and the Jewish race. The Jewish people are known for their industrious and hard work ethics all over the world. They are a people who seem to be able to excel in almost any situation. Because of this, they have been a great blessing to every place they have settled. They have had several thousand years to get over the sufferings that they endured as slaves. Given the same length of time, it seems apparent that the black descendants of slaves will likewise rise to the top and excel in almost any situation.

Some would point to the tribes in Africa and say that they did not advance very far, while the Europeans did. But, it has been proven that climate had much do with this. I submit that if Europeans had lived in the climate and other conditions of Africa, they would have done no better, and may have done much worse. Not only did the temperatures have an effect on their productivity, but because they had to fight so hard every day just to survive, it would have been difficult to give the time or energy needed for inventions and modern development.

Now, to the issue of the family and fathers. It was a well-known, and often published strategy of the slave owners to keep the slave families broken up so their allegiance would only be to their master. Fathers were rarely allowed to stay with their families, and were often sold after siring a number of children so that they could not bond. Think about what it would be like to live in a situation when any day your father, mother, brothers, sisters, or children, could be sold and you would never see them again, or even know where they went. After slavery was abolished, few mothers knew how to relate to the fathers of their children. Few fathers knew how to relate to just one family because they were often used as “breeders” and had children in several families. Sound familiar?

Even though I have a tendency to be a conservative politically, simply because I do not think the government will likely run needed social programs well, or without unacceptable waste and inefficiency, I have always been for Affirmative Action for the reasons listed above. Because of the depth of destruction done to African-American families, extra help is needed to heal the wounds and restore this great people. I do not think the government will do this very well, and the church could do it better, but the fact is with but few exceptions, the church is not doing anything. Having the government do something is better than nothing.

From a Christian perspective, why has the devil had such an assault against this people that continues to this day? It seems he is especially devoted to destroying the emerging generation of black children. Why? Because of their destiny.

Have you not also wondered when a little white girl is kidnapped and killed, why it will run on the national news incessantly? Sadly, this happens almost daily to black kids throughout the country, and it almost never makes the news. Of course, we should be concerned about the little white children, but should we be so much less concerned about the minority children to which this is happening much more frequently?

In spite of the terrible assault on the black family, have you not noticed the incredible bond among black people? They all call each other “brother” and “sister.” They may fight hard among themselves, but they will stand together to defend one of their own like few other people on the earth. Some of the great leaders of the church in the last days are going to come from the African community, in every nation where they are found. Those who were the most oppressed are going to teach the world about freedom. Those who have had their families so destroyed are going to teach the world about family.

We are also going to see a restoration of fatherhood among those of African descent, which will be an example of this high calling to all people. As one friend of mine said, being a father is the highest calling because it is the one office that we share with “the Father.”

Let us not continue to see or judge any ethnic group by their present characteristics, but try to see them prophetically as they are called to be. Possibly the most valuable prophetic gift that we can have in these times is what came upon Ezekiel when he was shown the valley of dry bones. Like him, we must not see dry bones as just dry bones, but as what they are called to be. Like him, we must pray for words of life to prophesy over those dry bones until they become what they are called to be.

This is our calling in the last days. Even though, as the Lord said, “nation will rise against nation,” (Matthew 24:7), He also said that His church would be a “house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17). In His church, all nations will be redeemed and restored so that their gifts and callings will be manifest, laying a foundation for the coming of the kingdom of God. This is why it is so crucial that Christians not judge others “after the flesh” or externals, but rather by the Spirit, seeing who they are called to be, not just who they are now.