By, Isam Itson III
Genesis 1:27:in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Children learn to live by imitating their parents. God is our Father. God loves us and faithfully takes care of us because we are his children. How do we imitate God? We imitate God by faithfully honoring God’s love for others because they are also his children.
We are made in the image of God as men and women. We are most true to ourselves when we are spending our lives helping others in the same way that God helps us, and trusting God’s grace and goodness to take care of us and our loved ones since we are God’s children. We are most fulfilled when we work together, helping each other grow as vessels of God’s love, in submission to God’s purpose for human beings in creation.
How does God help us? He exercises his divine creative authority as the head of an extended family, blessing his children. He made us in his image, male and female, to rule over his creation, exercise authority over the other living creatures, and to look out for each other’s best interests. This glorifies God and honors God’s love for all people. No matter our position in society, or place in the organizational chart at work, we can focus our attention and energy helping the people with whom we live and work.
Primarily we want to accompany people into a life of personal discovery in relationship to God, one another, and creation at large. As men and women made in God’s image we, take care of people faithfully, diligently, and purposefully, over time, and at peace with God, each other, and ourselves. We stay true to God and ourselves by meditating on who God is and who we are to God, in light of his word. We relate to others and the world in light of who God made us to be as his responsible representatives within his creation.
For Reflection
1. How has God tangibly shown me that He loves me?
2. Who are some people that I interact with on a regular basis, outside of my family, to whom I could show the love of God?
3. What are some practical ways that I could show the love of God to those people I regularly interact with regardless of what it will cost me?