Real Hope: The Wonder of the Lord's CreationSample

Handle With Care

If you’ve moved house, you know what a big job it is packing all your goods into boxes. I know about that, and sometimes my wife and I have needed to put labels on our boxes that say, ‘Handle with Care’ or ‘Fragile.’ It’s the same with people.

Why don’t we treat others in the same way? We can be guilty of careless and hasty words and treating others harshly and inappropriately. Mothers used to say to their kids, You must respect others because, if you don’t, they won’t respect you. It’s true, even though we rarely hear that advice. We expect others to show us respect all the time, yet we can be slow in giving it back. Contrary to what you may have heard, people don’t have to earn respect – I’ll explain what I mean.

A loving God created each one of us, and we are fashioned in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 (CEV) reads, ‘So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women,’ and the following verse says, ‘God gave them his blessing.’ This means we’re fashioned in the image of God. When you look into another’s eyes, you’re looking at someone special and God’s creation.

That alone merits respect. Yes, we need to earn respect with our work, intellect, and life experience, but no other human being has to earn your respect for being human. We’re all created and loved by our creator God. In the Old Testament, we hear God saying through the prophet Isaiah, ‘I have called you by name… to me you are very dear, and I love you’ (Isaiah 43:1–7 CEV).

Written by CHRIS WITTS

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