Cultivating Our Ability to See Others as Image Bearers of the God Most High

I came home from work yesterday, exhausted. I was so tired I went to bed before 6 p.m. and slept the whole night through. Hence, the late morning post and lack of posts the past couple of days. It’s been all I can do to tread water. This is also true for Terri. Please pray for us. It’s a difficult season on many levels. Thankfully, we have each other and aren’t left to navigate it on our own.

I’ve spent most of this week reflecting on how we see one another. What does it mean to cultivate a biblical view of others?

Seeing others as image bearers of God recognizes the profound dignity and worth bestowed upon every human being by virtue of their creation. The Bible tells us in Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” This pivotal passage reveals a foundational truth that every human, regardless of their background, abilities, or status, reflects aspects of God’s character and being. We are all image bearers of God.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Viewing others through this lens changes how we interact with the world around us. Cultivating this perspective calls us to love, respect, and serve one another, recognizing the divine imprint in each individual. Jesus modeled this perspective during His ministry on earth, treating each person He encountered with compassion and dignity, regardless of their social standing or past.

“I suppose all great happiness is a little sad. Beauty means the scent of roses and then the death of roses.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

Jesus set the example for us.

In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus summarized the Law and the Prophets with two commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Seeing others as image bearers of God is key to fulfilling these commandments, because it shapes how we love and serve our neighbors.

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

James‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Furthermore, James 3:9-10 admonishes believers on the inconsistency of praising God while cursing those made in His likeness: “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” These powerful words challenge us to reflect on how our actions and words align with the acknowledgment of the divine image in every person.

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”

Alphonse Karr, Lettres Écrites De Mon Jardin

Do you see people like Jesus sees them?

To cultivate a biblical perspective of how we view others, we are called to embrace humility, seek wisdom, and ask for God’s heart towards others. If we do this, we can grow in our ability to see and treat others as bearers of God’s image, thereby fulfilling the call to love as God loves.

Praying for you.

Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™