Privilege is one of those words that can clear a room faster than a pastor saying, “Let’s talk about tithing.”
It’s been tossed around so much that it’s almost lost its meaning, reduced to a political buzzword or an online insult. But here’s the thing: privilege isn’t inherently bad. It’s not a moral failing, a sin to confess, or a scarlet letter to wear. It’s a responsibility—a call to action, not a condemnation.
That may sound counterintuitive, especially in a culture where privilege often gets treated like a dirty word. But as Christians, we don’t get to ignore it or pretend it doesn’t exist. Scripture is clear: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48).
If we truly believe that everything we have—our education, our access, our resources—is a gift from God, then ignoring privilege isn’t just clueless. It’s disobedient.
Before going further, it’s important to define privilege for what it is: an unearned advantage that makes life a little (or a lot) easier. That could mean being born into a financially stable family, getting an education without crushing debt, having connections that open doors, or even something as simple as feeling safe walking alone at night. Privilege doesn’t mean life is easy. It just means there are certain obstacles you didn’t have to overcome.
“Privilege doesn’t mean you didn’t work hard,” Dr. Michael Emerson, a sociologist at the University of Illinois Chicago who studies race and inequality, explains. “It means that, in addition to your hard work, there were structures and opportunities that worked in your favor, often in ways you didn’t even realize.”
In other words, it’s not about guilt—it’s about awareness. And awareness should lead to action.
Study after study shows how privilege shapes opportunities. Research from the Pew Research Center found that young adults from higher-income backgrounds are significantly more likely to graduate college, land high-paying jobs and accumulate wealth over time. Meanwhile, those from lower-income families face systemic barriers that make economic mobility harder.
If this all sounds unfair, that’s because it is. But instead of shutting down or getting defensive, the question should be: What do we do with this information? Because, if Jesus’ teachings tell us anything, it’s that awareness should lead to responsibility.
Privilege, in any form, is an opportunity to serve. Jesus repeatedly called his followers to use their resources for others. Think about the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan didn’t cause the man’s suffering, but he had the ability to do something about it—so he did. Meanwhile, the priest and Levite, who arguably had even more resources to help, walked by, too caught up in their own concerns to stop. The Samaritan’s privilege (money, transportation, freedom to help) wasn’t a problem—it was a tool.
Dr. Esau McCaulley, a New Testament scholar, puts it this way: “The Christian tradition teaches that we are stewards, not owners. The question is not whether we have privilege, but how we are using what we have been given for the good of others.”
And yet, too often, Christians get caught up in defensiveness. Instead of asking how to leverage privilege for good, we waste energy debating whether it exists. Imagine if the Samaritan had stopped to say, “Well, I didn’t beat this guy up, so why is this my problem?” That would’ve been absurd. And yet, that’s exactly how many react when the topic of privilege comes up.
If privilege isn’t a curse, then what do we do with it? The first step is moving beyond guilt. Guilt is useless. It paralyzes rather than mobilizes. Instead of feeling bad about what you have, start asking how you can use it to help someone else.
Maybe you had a debt-free college experience—great. How can you mentor someone struggling with student loans? Maybe you have a well-connected network. Who can you introduce to opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise? Maybe you feel safe in spaces where others don’t. How can you use your voice to advocate for them?
“If privilege is the problem, then stewardship is the answer,” Dr. Christina Edmondson, psychologist and author of Faithful Antiracism, says. “God’s blessings were never meant to terminate on us. They were always meant to be multiplied through us.”
Here’s the hard truth: Ignoring privilege isn’t neutral. It has consequences. When we refuse to acknowledge the advantages we’ve been given, we fail to steward them well. And history has shown what happens when privilege goes unchecked—systemic injustice thrives and entire communities suffer.
But when privilege is used responsibly, it changes lives. The early church understood this. The first Christians pooled their resources so that “there were no needy persons among them” (Acts 4:34). They didn’t hoard their privilege—they shared it. And in doing so, they became a powerful witness to the world.
The good news is that privilege, when used wisely, can be one of the most powerful tools for justice and healing. It can fund scholarships, amplify marginalized voices, create job opportunities and break generational cycles of poverty. It can build bridges instead of walls.
So instead of fearing or resenting privilege, let’s steward it. Instead of arguing over its existence, let’s use it well. Because privilege isn’t a curse. It’s a responsibility. And how we handle it says a lot about who we really are.
