Precious And Honoured In His SightSample

I don’t know about you, but these verses make me uncomfortable. I think of all the times I’ve yelled at my husband for some little thing; or all the times I’ve said something negative about someone behind their back that I probably wouldn’t say to their face. 

It’s right to feel this discomfort. Because the inherent value we have as human beings – being made in God’s image - has huge implications for how we should, and how we should not, treat each other. There’s a glaring inconsistency when we praise God one minute, and then curse one of his image bearers the next. 

In Matthew 25, Jesus makes it clear that this inconsistency isn’t just limited to our speech – it occurs whenever we mistreat or neglect other people. His confronting words – “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” – show that the way we treat others is the way we really treat Jesus. Today, let’s repent of our cursing, our mistreatment, and our neglect, and pray for God’s help to value others as he does.

Think of how you have treated other people in the last week. Where do you need to repent? How could seeing them as God’s image-bearer help you to change going forward?