Casting Down Sterotypes!

I have been conducting deliverance counseling sessions over the telephone since 2002 with people from around the world.  Granted, it depends upon what time you call me that you might mistake me for a man when I say, “Hello, RESCUE Fellowship.” I don’t do early morning calls so most people who call recognize that I am a woman.

Recently, I received a call from an African American man.  From his voice, I could ascertain that he was black and that he probably lives in a southern state.  So I answered, “Rescue Fellowship.”  to my shock, he said “oh no.  sorry, I don’t mean to offend you. But you sound way to hard and rough for me.”

I stood silent, not responding to what could have been taken as a huge offense.  He hung up.  However, 15 minutes later, he called back.  Finally, he explained that he believes his former lover—an evil black woman—had put a witchcraft spell on him.  Before  I could say much as he was loud and loquacious— he went on to inform me that he needed me to be soft and feminine and that I sounded too hard and too strong to work with him.

Now technically, I could probably have helped this man but I chose not to because before I could help him, I would have to deal with his gender and racial sterotypes first.  His problem is that he despises strong African-American women. As a consequence, he sterotypes every black woman that does not sound like a mouse as an insensitive, cold, hard, rough  and tough black heifer or as they say in the church, a Jezebel spewing out witchcraft spells. All he needed to be triggered in his prejudices was to hear me say only two words.  so I didn’t say much  on the second call either other than “Get off the phone and go find yourself someone soft enough for you, which is probably a woman of any gender other than an African-American. YOU”VE GOT ISSUES!!!!!”

I have uncovered that a  hidden motive of Satan using sterotypes is to negatively affect his victim’s self evaluation.  As for me, my voice is an asset to the work as people are not looking for a timid person to confront demons on their behalf. I am bold and bodacious in the spirit and I don’t take abuse from anyone, alive, dead or in the spirit world.  I have been described by my clients as having a voice of authority. I don’t fit the stereotype that as a big black woman, I can sing.  No. I croak!  However, the demons have been known to tremble at the sound of  my voice, primarily because they can tell that I believe in the power and the name of Jesus Christ of Nazaereth. My authority with demons has nothing to do with my race or my gender.  it’s my calling.

Therefore, I do not expect to be pleasing to everyone or that everyone will respond well to my style of deliverance.  With this in mind, without much effort, I pay little attention to what people think of me—positive as well as negative.   Long ago, I came to terms with the fact that I am not going to be pleasing to but a select few. So I don’t allow the expectations of others to cause me to lose sleep or to negatively affect my self esteem. I take no thought about it.  Why?  Because the next person WILL be calling me and that is a person that will welcome who I am and what I do, without prejudicial Sterotypes.  I am not like any one else and I don’t try to be. I am fine with just being me.

Yet some of my clients allow their own self-Sterotypes to be negatively formed and strengthened by the likes and dislikes, opinions and expectations of others, either people who are close to them or even perfect strangers. At this point in my life, my self-concept is too intact, too strong to be ransacked by others to my detriment. I too quickly shake the dust for that.  if you try to take me down, I don’t stick around for debate.

Yet I have an advantage over the average person.  Retired, I don’t have to look for jobs. As a result, I don’t have to depend upon clients for my income.  Those who are different from the norm are forced by circumstances to endure other people’s sterotypes on a daily basis. Those who are in the job market deal with abuses and prejudices  that I no longer have to concern myself with. Unlike some of you, I don’t have the office clique to find favor with.  The pressure of getting people to accept me is no longer a burden.   I can be my rough and tough black self any time I want! LOL

Yet I am still concerned about your struggle as I have been there and done that.  What we must continue to do in a world that rejects the Lord is to cast down imaginations and thoughts, bringing them into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  His obedience is “you be you and I will be me.” if you are in Christ, you are okay with Him and if you are not, the Holy Spirit will make every adjustment necessary. So do not allow sterotypes of others or  those of your own making to overpower you by causing you to be what they want or what YOu want both of which are not WHO you REALLY are!!!

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