So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. — Genesis 1:27
What color are your eyes? Blue? Green? Brown? Hazel? Gray? Amber? Are they a dark shade or light? What about your personality? Are you an extrovert or introvert? Type A or type B? Right-brain (creative) thinker or a left-brain (logical) thinker? An achiever? A developer? An intellectual? A relator? A strategist? Are you left-handed or right?
My wife and I have four children. As I am sure any parent would agree when thinking about their children, there are absolutely no two alike in any way. I am glad because it always kept things interesting when we were raising them.
Amongst the readers of this devotional, I am absolutely confident there are no two that are alike in looks, personality type, or any other comparisons that could be made. Not only that, in the course of creation, God has never created anyone just like you or me.
There is one very important element, however, that is common amongst every human being ever born. As discussed during our ongoing series, Beautiful Design, this week we’ve focused on the term “Imago Dei,” the concept that every human being carries the image of God. We have been reminded that all human life has inherent value. Viewed through the micro-lens, that means you and me. Viewed through the macro-lens, that means every one of the other estimated 7.8 billion people who live on planet earth today, and the estimated 107 billion people who have lived since God created our great-great-great… grandparents, Adam and Eve.
It is mind boggling to realize that God created our inmost being and knit each one of us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13); that He has made each of us fearfully and wonderfully (Psalm 139:14); that we were intricately woven together by His hand (Psalm 139:15); that He knows the very number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7); that we are His workmanship created for good works which He has prepared beforehand (Ephesians 2:10); that He knows, of the roughly 23,000 breaths we take and more than 100,000 times our hearts beat daily exactly how many are planned for each of us (Psalm 139:16).
God has created each of us uniquely, yet He values each of us the same. He not only knows you intimately as your Designer, He also knows you (and I) have a sinful nature. He desires to spend eternity with you and, as such, provided a way for you to do just that. He gave His one and only Son to pay the ultimate sacrifice of dying on a cross in order that we may experience eternal life. His life for yours.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 6:23
But He gives us the free will to decide if we accept this free gift or not. Take that step if you have never done so before and share your decision with one of our pastors by emailing them at info@clifec.com. They would love to answer any questions you may have and provide resources for you.
Lastly, I’d like to encourage you to shift the focus from inward to outward. Ask God to show you at least one person you can encourage this week. Everyone you encounter during the course of a day carries a unique design, fashioned in a manner that only God could make. This includes the checkout cashier at the grocery store, the attendant at the car wash, and the receptionist at the doctor’s office. Gather up the courage to encourage that wonderfully made child of God by taking a moment to look them in their blue, green, brown, hazel, gray, or amber-colored eyes, compliment them on something unique to them, and tell them that God loves them deeply. The characteristic shouldn’t be difficult to spot. They are, after all, created in the image of God.