Image Bearers

Grady’s mother was in the hospital not long after we married. Technically she was his grandmother, but he called her mom since she had raised him from a fairly early age. She was an extremely loving and kind lady. In my time in the family I never heard her say an unkind word about anyone. She was sweet (that’s not a great adjective for people but it really does describe her). But during this stay in the hospital she had one nurse that was particularly harsh with her. I remember her saying; “I just can’t love her with the love of Christ”. This became a family saying for Grady and I when we would encounter someone particular offensive.

I like people and I get along with most that I meet. Of course there are exceptions. And there are those that I like more easily than others. My mind lately has been trying to wrap itself around the first and greatest commandment, “to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” At first I looked at this and thought, okay. But then I thought about what that would really look like.

Loving God with everything is everything. That would include loving him with my computer I am typing on, with my fingers that are typing, with my eyes that watch my fingers (because I never learned to look away in high school typing class), with my brain that is telling me what to type, with my room and house where I sit comfortably as I type, with my time that I use now but then also continuing through the day. Loving him completely means He has access and control over my checkbook, my time, and my choices. Loving Him with all my heart, soul and mind, doesn’t really leave anything out.

Loving my neighbor as myself is in some ways even more daunting, because they are not perfect. I don’t necessarily owe them a debt of gratitude for my life, for my salvation, and some of them just aren’t even that nice. They don’t think like me, they may or may not love God themselves. But it didn’t say, love the neighbors that love God; or love the neighbors that are neighborly, or love the neighbors that are lovely. I wonder why it can be so hard to love what God loves? I am sure He loves my neighbor. My neighbor deserves His love as much as me-, which is not saying much. So how do I love them?

Image Bearers. I love that term. We are the image bearers of God. He has chosen to make us in His likeness. As such, I can look for what part of His image is within my neighbor. Sometimes I may have to look deep but the more I know and love Christ the more I should be able to recognize and find those distinguishing marks, which are on every man and woman. Young, old, every race and color, male or female has been given that title. Humans have the distinction to be God’s image bearers.

I think Grady’s mom was on to something. Maybe we, in trying to love God, learn to see Christ’s love for us. After all we love because He first loved us. Maybe then in turn we can be freer to love ‘with the love of Christ’. Maybe we can begin to see God’s image in those around us. I’m not sure, and there will still be times it is difficult to love, but being that it is called the ‘greatest commandment’ it’s probably worth some effort and prayer on my part.

Lord, help me to love you with everything. Help me then, as I rest in your love to be able to share that love with others. Help me see your image in those around me. Thank you that you allow us to be your image bearers.