During Black History Month, the accomplishments of African Americans are highlighted to remind each generation of our history and our struggle in America. America is a great nation in our eyes; however, this great nation was built from the contributions of many African Americans.

All Americans are standing on the shoulders of the great heritage of African American giants who made this nation renowned. African American heritage became great because of our faith in Christ Jesus. Excellence is not what they had but who they were in Christ Jesus.

When you know who you are in Christ Jesus, everything changes. Each of us wakes up each day with a choice to walk in what we know about our value or we wake up and listen to what man’s opinion says about us. Man’s opinion does not determine who we are.

Man presents facts, but facts are not truth, facts change. Truth is what God says and truth remains the same yesterday, today and forevermore.

We, who are in Christ, are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

It is my deepest desire that every child in the African American race or any race will look into a mirror and say to themselves: I am important, I have value, I am created in the image and likeness of God for His divine purpose, and I am important to God’s plan.

We must know that we were born in the right race, the right family, the right place and the right time. It takes one person to say something negative to you or about you, and if you let it, it will hinder your chances to be all that you are called to be.

All who profess to be Christians have a responsibility to build each other up not tear down.

I am simply saying the truth of our history begins with His story, Jesus Christ, the true standard of excellence. Jesus Christ came to earth to save us from sin not to condemn us.  He shed his blood on the old rugged cross and got up from the grave to give us life. The greatest commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the laws and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Our forefathers were motivated by this love in Christ, and they willingly counted all things as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, so that they would win Christ. Our history speaks to this faith and how the African American faced every struggle with this hope. What made our forefathers a great people still holds true today, if we walk in the truth that Christ Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Each of us has an assignment on earth. Whatever we do, we do it unto the glory of the Lord.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’”

For this time of reflection on the history of African Americans, let us be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; let us be mindful that we are writing our history, and a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Let this be a new beginning of excellence and let us march on by faith not by sight as our forefathers, to be and do the best we can in Christ to make a difference.

The author and finisher of our faith is Jesus Christ, and when we look to Him, our labor in the Lord will not be in vain, and we will live distinctively different and leave a mark of excellence for this generation and generations to come.

Gale Watkins Hudson is a guest columnist for The Dispatch. She can be reached at galehudson@gmail.com.