In His Image
“So God create man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:21
When I first started walking with God, I noticed the desire to want to be with people that I never would of thought to spend time with before. Our only similarity at first, was that God created us and the Jesus redeemed us. God used these early friends in my faith to show me His personality and His character, so that I could begin to look more like Him.
These friendships were most influential in that season:
My servant hearted friend: Always the first to clean the dishes or let me borrow her car. When our friend had cancer she never left her side. She even slept on the hospital floor next to her, so she wouldn’t be afraid. She often toiled, take me God instead of her… “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many”, Mark 10:45 had come alive to me.
My introverted friend: I learned through her introverted qualities the necessary of being alone with God and the importance of spending significant time with Him daily. I learned of HIs desire to be with me. John 15 “Abide in me and I in you” began to make sense to me in a way it never had before.
My peacemaker friend: This friend did not shy from hard conversations, but when it was necessary, he embraced it. I began to understand how God uses healthy. confrontation (with the aim of reconciliation) to get to the root of an issue and make true peace. Not keep false keep. I understood “Blessed are the peacemakers…” in Matthew 5:9 from the way this friend lived his life.
When God created Adam and Eve in His image, we could see parts of His personality, but not all of who He is could be captured in two persons. God continues to create person after person, instilling more of who he is inside them. In ourselves it is not possible to access all of who God is, but we learn about Him through His word, guidance of the Holy Spirit and our relationships with each other. To miss out on relationships is to miss out on God.
Every person is a unique, irreplaceable, finite expression of God’s infinite personality.
How can you build God honoring friendships? Here’s a challenge for you: think of someone in your small group who seems very different from you. Seek out a friendship with them! Ask them their story. Then ask yourself: how is this person different from me and what part of God/s character do I see in them?
ALSO have you heard about Fall Advance? It’s October 23rd through the 25th. The whole aim of this retreat is to form new friendships, deepen existing ones and discover more of who God is. So what are you waiting for?Reach out to your small group leader or send us a DM for more details to attend.
Love you guys,
Kate Anderson