In His Image
Teary-eyed I sat listening to the speaker as she
quoted the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
No way! I assumed that as a lowly human I had no
capacity to love. Not God, not my neighbor, not myself. Though I’d been a
church-goer all my life, raised in a strong Christian family, the concept that
I was lovable was beyond my imagination. ‘I am unworthy the least of his
favor.’ Hadn’t I sung that for years and took it to heart. I even began to skip
singing certain phrases that proclaimed my love for Jesus. I’d be such a liar
to sing those words.
But here she was saying, “You can’t love your neighbor
unless you love yourself. The wonderful news is that God created us humans in
His image. His love, mercy, peace, joy, forgiveness, and all His other
attributes, He stored inside of us so that we can reflect Him.”
My heart skipped a beat. I understood. He placed love
within me when He created me in His image. I am able to love God, I am able to
love me, I am able to love my neighbor as I love myself because God created me
in His image of love.
