In His Image.

I'm sure many of us have been hurt by other’s words. The sad thing I’ve noticed is that most of the people I know, including myself, have been hurt in the biggest ways by those IN the Church, the ones who should “know better”.

Most people think we have to clean ourselves all up, look like we have it all together. (Which everyone knows that nobody has it “all together”…..why do we need to try to pretend?) We need to read our Bible 45 minutes a day, go to church when the doors are open, participate in Bible study, V.B.S., show charity to someone, (usually it isn’t even to help them, it’s to make ourselves feel better). And though most people would say, “I don’t just do those things, I have a REAL relationship with Jesus!”……my question is, do we???

Do we? Can we have a relationship with the One who IS love when we’re constantly ripping one another apart in hatred? Can we have a relationship with the One who associated Himself with the poor, when we hoard all of our money while our neighbor has no food? When He, Himself, mourned and cried, yet we shut our ears to those who are deeply grieved? Can we really know Him, who gave Himself for even His enemies, (which at one time we fell into that category) when we’re constantly saying how wrong others are, and hating those who disagree with us with our venemous words???

These are just questions I have.

Because if we are His followers, if we are His children, we are to exhibit love. At all turns. Even when that evil *insert political party* says something that we totally disagree with. Even then? Yes. Even when our so-called friends gossip about us constantly? Yes, still….show love. Even when *insert name here* has done nothing but be a jerk to me all the years I’ve known her? Yes…..love holds no wrongs. Now, does this mean we let people run over us and enable them to do these things to us? I think not. However, we are called to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Evil has to be brought out into the light and called out for what it is, but I think sometimes we call PEOPLE out…..

…….and we forget that they, too, were created in His very image.

What would the world look like if we actually lived as we believed that? Each person, no matter their race, appearance, what’s in their bank account, their religion, their political party, the country they live in………..that they were created in His image??

What if we, as the Body of Christ, were so overflowing with His love, that all we ever did was show love to each person that draws breath? What if we decided that hatred has no place in the Believer’s life? What if we not only decided that, but actually LIVED like that?? What if we ever got to a point that we could look at the face of ANY living human being on this earth and see the face of Jesus…….

Maybe that is the defining factor of whether we have a “relationship” with Jesus.

Do we? Do you?

Because He created us to live on this place together.

He created us to be a light.

Some people would say we’ve turned into a black hole.