Created uniquely in God’s image

In the beginning God created mankind in his own image. In the image of God, He created them male and female.  Genesis 12:26

All men and women are created in God’s image! Whether black, brown, red or white, we are all created in His image.  And we are all created uniquely, designed for His purpose. No one is better than the other and we are loved equally by God. Just like children are different in every family, we all are different with unique skills and abilities and opportunities to do what we were created to do. 

In 1 Corinthians 12 we are reminded that in the body of Christ there are many parts, toes, hands and eyes etc. All are needed and valuable in God’s world and none are more significant than the other. 

Our sin comes when we start comparing ourselves to others. It is only natural to compare but when we measure our lives against others, we can sin in one of two ways. We can become prideful and feel superior like the righteous brother of the prodigal son, or we may become envious of others and feel cheated or a victim of unfairness.  

In Galatians 5:25-26 we read “Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.” The Message translation. 

I was perplexed at first when I was told by some of my black friends that we weren’t supposed to be “color blind”.  I had been told most of my life that to be “color blind” to all races was the goal.  Over time I began to understand their viewpoint.  The goal is not to ignore differences but to acknowledge and celebrate our uniqueness. 

Galatians 5:26 addresses this issue. We should realize there are differences in all of us and it is not a sin to recognize those differences. Differences are actually what make the world interesting. Ethnic differences extend way beyond the color of our skin, to cultural and values. I’ve been all over the world and enjoyed the unique cultures. One way to help you better understand this biblical truth is to take a mission trip to another country and work along side of the people in that country.  Get to know them and experience their culture first hand. It is especially refreshing to experience the different culture but discover how bonded you are by the same biblical values. 

Our struggle is how to live out of God’s reality that we are all created uniquely and different but no one more significant, while living in a world that constantly evaluates people and every action.  We live in a world that loves to compete, and compare, reward or shame. 

Perhaps the best way to fight our urge to compare is to not focus on our shortcomings, hardships and insecurities, but instead count our many blessings and focus on and be thankful for life itself and for what God has done for us individually.

Beyond our blessings of eternal life and a relationship with Jesus, we should also thank God every day for living in the greatest time in all of history, with the greatest opportunities, the most resources, food, tools, digital gadgets at our fingertips to make our lives safer, easier and more convenient.  We can travel all over the world quickly and relatively cheap, communicate with anyone anywhere at anytime. 

Yes, and if you live in the United States, no matter your race or financial status, consider yourself privileged! We have more opportunities and freedoms to be successful than any country in the history of the world. Even if you are in the lowest income bracket, consider yourself fortunate because you could have lived in Europe in the 14th century during the Black Death or Bubonic plagues or any other country or time in history.  

In Christ, we are created with unique gifts to do amazing things and because we live in America in the 21 century, we have all the opportunities and everything we need at our disposal to accomplish God’s unique calling given to each of us. Let us focus on how we can best use our gifts to love God and love others. 

Empowered By The Holy Spirit!

Picture courtesy of Pixabay.com

I've had a great amount of time to reflect on my bypass surgery while trying to recover. You do a lot of talking to God in the process. And one of the blessings from this difficult time is being able to experience God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible states that the Holy Spirit is one of the main ways we experience God today, and the fruit of the Spirit is what is manifested in and through me from the Holy Spirit's power. Galatians 5:22 tells us the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These attributes should be what you experience. 

So I realized early on through the surgery and recovery process, that I was relying on the Holy Spirit and there were numerous times that I felt an overwhelming sense of the various fruits of the Spirit being manifested in me. Right from the beginning when I was told I needed surgery and rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, then waiting two days in the hospital before the surgery, I experienced a peace beyond comprehension. I was not anxious or worried, but confident that I was receiving a blessing, to be able to fix my heart before I had a major stroke or heart attack that led to death. I remember telling someone that I had felt a lot more anxious about organizing a church event than bypass surgery. I don't think I could stay so calm without the Spirit's power.

During this process I also seemed to come alive. I had a lot of visitors and I felt energized and had a quicker wit and sense of humor than normal. I was experiencing the joy of the Spirit in a time when I should have been very sad.  

I also recognized a supernatural ability to be kind in a time where everything seemed magnified. Almost everything and everyone seemed to get on my nerves. I sized up every nurse and attendant and could easily identify their idiosyncrasies, many of which seemed to irritate me.  There was the overly talkative, extra perky nurse with the fake southern accent who proclaimed, "you're in good hands now" when introducing the new nurse. Followed by, "Isn't there a commercial or something about being in good hands on tv?" Yes, she was blond! Then there was the male nurse who couldn't seem to understand how any of the machines worked.

Through it all, Barbara can attest to this, I was kind and gentle to all of those who poked me every half hour. I sensed a self-control beyond my power to hold my tongue during some tormenting times. I was not going to be the grumpy patient! Even when my heart went into a-fribilation, feeling as if my heart was going to explode and the nurses couldn't get the EKG machine to work, I was able to stay calm when I wanted to exclaim, "what are you ignorant fools doing? I'm fixing to die!" God continued to give me patience, peace and self-control through two agonizing hours of a heart going crazy in my chest.

I pray that I remained faithful to God through the experience. I certainly felt God's love and the love and support of so many who were praying for me, visiting, bringing food and keeping up with how I was progressing by phone and on social media.  One of the most consistent and faithful who called me almost every day was a friend who had recently gone through a major battle with throat cancer. I think because of his experience, he could so easily identify with what I was going through, that he was aware of my needs.

So this experience has brought me closer to God and closer to my friends and those with whom I have a chance to minister to as a chaplain and coach. Until this time, I could not point to a very difficult period in my life. I think I'll have a lot more empathy for others who are going through a painful period. I pray that God's power through the Holy Spirit continues to be manifested in and through me.  Thank you, Jesus!

By the way, I recommend a couple of books I've had a chance to read during my recovery. The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg and Cast of Characters by Max Lucado.  The Auschwitz Escape is a great historical fiction novel about the famous Nazi death prison. I read this while in the hospital and was reminded that I had it very good compared to those in the death camps. Cast of Characters is a good devotional book (chapter a day)  that could also be used in a small group discussion.

Also, here is a link to a great sermon about living by God's grace from Jeff Harris at Grace Point.  Watch it here.