In His Image

Some of my earliest memories are sitting on the couch in the living room with my siblings learning memory verses. We learned all the “easy” ones, Genesis 1:1, John 3:16, Matthew 7:12, etc. As a child, I knew the words of these verses, but I didn’t comprehend them. It’s one thing to memorize a pattern of words, but it is something entirely different from internalizing them. This is the path to spiritual maturity and wisdom: to know the words of Christ and to live them.

If you were to look at the world, it becomes apparent that there is a great deal of hurt. Why is there such conflict, division, and anger, even among Christian? I think that many of these hurts may stem from a failure to truly see one another. There is a difference between the vision of man and the vision of God. In 1 Samuel 16:7 we read,

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

God looks on the heart of man. He does not judge on outward appearances but on his inner character. How might the world be different if we learned not to look upon outward appearances but on the heart of man; if we saw one another as souls created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Would we be kinder to one another? Would we be more considerate or more willing to reach across the aisle and lift one another up?

We live in a fallen world; there is no question about that. As Christians, let’s not contribute to that darkness. Rather, strive to love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who those who mistreat you (Luke 6:27-28). Regardless of all the things that divide, one’s gender, race, or political affiliation, we would do well to remember that we are all souls created in His image.