Have you ever stopped to think about the enormous importance of people? Other human beings play crucial roles in our lives—our parents, siblings, spouse, children, bosses, workers, leaders, and friends are all different people with whom we are connected. Consider the vast impact that they have on your life.
Someone raised you, provided for you, trains you, depends on you, encourages you, and on and on. Other people are often the source of some of the greatest joy and the greatest frustration that we will know in this life. The delight and pain of relationships is a fundamental aspect of what it means to live as a human in the world that God created. People are vitally important to our lives.
So treasure them.
Too often we undervalue human relationships, even if we do so unconsciously. It is all too rare that we stop and consider what a blessing it is to have other human beings around us in our day to day lives. God has given them to us for our blessing, growth, and joy. They exist to minister to us and for us to minister to. If you struggle to appreciate other human beings, consider these three things.
First, all human beings are creatures of God. As such, they are beings created in the image of God, no matter how far short of His glory they fall. Our treatment of those made in the image of God reflects the way we treat God Himself (cf. James 3:9). Generally, we are called to love our neighbors, regardless of the way that they treat us (Matt. 5:44, 22:36-40). You cannot fulfill that command without having significant interaction with other people. Human beings are also eternal creatures—every human being will spend an eternity in either heaven or hell. When you interact with people, then, you should be mindful of how much thought and care God has put into the making of each one. He has given each one the immense privilege and duty of resembling Him and called them to love those who look like Him. Give that some thought.
Second, as a Christian, you must recognize that other Christians are the very children of God by adoption. God chose and loved each Christian with a fatherly and redeeming love. He took special care to save the soul of each Christian by providing His own unique Son as a perfect Substitute, then lovingly regenerated them with the Spirit, cleansing their hearts by faith (Rom. 5:17-18, Rom. 8:32, Titus 3:5, Acts 15:9). They are His children, the beloved of God, the ones whom He will defend and avenge (2 Thes. 1:6). God highly values His children and does not take it lightly when they are mistreated. They, in one sense, are the object of God’s attention in this world. He places a high value on them—and so should you.
Finally, it is people whom God has chosen to redeem in order to demonstrate His grace. Reflect for a moment on the implications this has on your actions. If you are a Christian, you are able to take part in the glorious sanctification and edification of the church. God has chosen the church as the platform or the stage where He can magnificently manifest His gracious character. This means that people—individuals, people just like you and me—are redeemed, and that that redemption of people is the primary arena where God’s glory is displayed. If you do not value the relationships that God has providentially placed in your life, beware! God has an incredible plan to make His glory known, and it is seen most clearly in the lives of human beings, for that is where the cross of Christ shows forth its power. Do not think lightly of other people, for God does not.
People are incredibly important to us, even at the level of our physical sustenance. You would not exist to read this without other people. More importantly, God has so worked that people are the living stones of which His temple is built (1 Peter 2:5, Eph. 2:21-22). Highly value other people, then, and ask God to help you live with them as you ought. His glory is at stake in such relationships!
--Dean of Admissions
(Bonus points to anyone who can identify the location where the above picture was taken.)
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