GENESIS 1:26-27 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

THEME OF THE DAY. SEEING PEOPLE AS GOD DOES. We are going to encounter people today and throughout the day. Yes, that is an obvious statement, but the question I have for us is how do we see all the people we will encounter today – the ones we know and love; the ones we don’t know; the ones who are believers and those who are not? There are only two ways to view people – through our eyes or the eyes of our God. This is extremely important because how we see people will determine how we treat people, and how we treat people reveals our closeness to the Lord Jesus and His heart.

The first way we see people is through our eyes and this view is not good. Why? It is tainted with sin. The Apostle Paul tells us “For I know that nothing good dwells in me . . . (Romans 7:18a). If we keep our views of people horizontal, not vertical from God’s perspective, here is what happens. We will be critical of people, indifferent to people, partial toward people, judgmental of people, distant from people, and a host of other attitudes far away from those of the Lord Jesus. Oh, we may not be cold and callous. We will have human love and concern for people, even our family members. We may even show pity to people, but we won’t have God’s love toward anyone and when that is absent, we cannot consistently see, treat, and serve people as God sees them. Think with me for a moment. Why do we see relationships strained and perhaps even end? Why do we too easily stop serving people, grow weary in well-doing toward people, and don’t invest in deep spiritual relationships with people? We don’t see people as God does. It is easy to “like” people and give ourselves to them when they are agreeable, easy to get along with, and offer us something in return in the relationship. That is what sinful self-love does toward people. It is situational and conditional. How unlike our God and how unlike God in His dealing with people. And that leads to the second view of people – God’s view.

In today’s scripture, we find the proper way, God’s way, to see all people – as created in His image. Friend, that isn’t just about Christians. It is toward all people, even hardened unbelievers, even difficult people in our lives. The next time we are tempted to be critical of someone, anyone, stop and tell ourselves, “I am about to think harshly of an individual created in the image of God.” And this is taken to a different level when it comes to our view of believers. When the temptation to gossip, slander, or talk ill of another believer, consider what is about to happen – we are attacking not only an image- bearer of God, but one of His children purchased by the blood of His Son. God does not take lightly harm done to His children; harm of any kind. But also see unbelievers as image-bearers. Though they are separated from God due to sin and that image marred by their depravity, they are still created beings who have the potential to be restored as rightful image-bearers through the gospel. This means we should not be critical or harsh to sinners. We should pity, pray, and point them to the Creator with the offer to be restored to Him as His image-bearers.

How we view people will determine how effective we are in the work of the Kingdom and investing in people. Remember, nothing in this world will last. All that is eternal is people. See them as God does and He will use us to make a difference in their lives for His glory.

PRAYER: “Father, help me see all people – saved and unsaved – through Your eyes and heart.”

QUOTE: “Learn to see people as God does and a heart of love for them will grow as well as a life lived serving them.”