Image of God changes everything

1 John 4:19-21:

"We love because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And He has given us this command: anyone who loves God must also love their brother or sister."

Isn't love hard?

I am not talking about the romantic kind of love - the butterflies in the stomach when someone you like or love walks in the room. I am talking about the kind of love that compels you to give up your comforts and your rights for the sake of another - that's hard.

All throughout Scripture we are told to love God and love one another like we love ourselves (Matthew 22:34-40), to use our gifts to serve one another (1 Peter 4:10), and to pursue unity with one another (Philippians 2:1-11).

This is the kind of love Jesus has called us to show others, yet somehow we have lost sight of the biblical understanding and practice of love. Simply put, we do not love each other as we should! We all need to do better at loving others.

The Bible offers us a better way forward because in the book of Genesis we see the foundation for Christian unity and brotherly (and sisterly) love. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Why do we love and serve one another?

Because all people, yes every single one of us, are created in the image of God.

Doesn't this truth change everything?

We read in Psalm 139:14, that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." However, our understanding of the image of God becomes a little unclear when it concerns anyone else. Recognising that we have all been made in the image of God should impact on how we treat others.

Genesis 1:27 tells us:

"So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them."

God spoke creation into being but His beloved creation, the only one with His image imprinted on its very being, is humankind. God formed humans with His hands, He carefully formed us from dust and breathed His life into us. The life that sustained each and every one of us is the life of God.

The image of God is an identity that all humans share. We were created to reflect God's perfect character and righteousness. We get our capacity to love, our desire for justice, our appreciation of beauty and so much more directly from God Himself.

The image of God also has to do with how we represent God on earth. Because all people are made in the image of God, it changes everything! It changes the way we treat our neighbours, it impacts the way we talk about that friend with a differing viewpoint. As believers, we acknowledge and know that God's image is stamped on every single human who walks the earth.

This is the foundation of why we should treat all people with honour, dignity and respect. We should love each other well, because in each of us there is something of God.

Our heavenly Father created us and He gave us so much that we don't deserve. He is ever mindful of us, even when we are not mindful of Him. God loves all His people because He made them; and if we love God, we are called to love others too.

It's true, that while the beauty of God resides in all of us, there is also something broken within us. Sin causes us to do awful things to each other; but when we see bad in others, we must recognise that we are not perfect either.

Our heavenly Father cannot bear the sight of sin, but He did not refuse to love us because of our condition, instead He provided a way to set us free from sin.

If God can love us despite our sinful nature, we ought to love others too. As image-bearers, through the power of the cross we choose to reflect His goodness and His holy character whenever we get the chance. It is Christ within us that leads us to show love for others; so the more time we spend with Him, the more His love will be cultivated in our hearts.

So, I want to leave you with a few questions:

• Who do you need to love today?

• Who do you need to forgive?

• Who do you need to spend time praying over?

As David did in Psalm 139, let's ask God to examine our hearts and probe our thoughts. Test us and know our concerns, and see if there is any idolatrous way in us and lead us in the everlasting way.

May the God who made us in His image, equip us to reflect His light and unity within this dark world we live in.

God bless