On Mission At WorkSample

Our Humanity is a Gift from God

“I’m only human.” How often have you heard someone say that or something like that to explain lousy behavior? We often use that language in our Christian communities because scripture can refer to our sinful nature as our “flesh.“ However, referring to our humanity as necessarily sinful, in its very substance, is not accurate. Getting this point right is very important to understanding our role in the world.

In Genesis 1:26-31, we read about God’s creation of the world. It is important to note that God created us in our humanity and declared that it was “very good.” In other words, it is “very good” to be human. Even more than that, God says that in this “very good” creation of our humanity, he made us in his image! To be human is God’s good plan for us. To be redeemed, or saved, is not a call to leave our humanity behind. The Bible’s affirmation of our humanity indicates that engaging in sinful activities is not being “only human” but being sub-human. It’s less than human. To be human is to be the person God created us to be. To live out our calling as people made in his image. We must know and walk in his ways if we want to be fully human. When we choose anything less than that, we choose to be less than human. When we come to faith in Jesus, we become fully human.

We need to see our humanity not as a liability that keeps us from walking with God but as a good gift that God wants to redeem as part of our salvation. This means that all the activities we do when we are living as Christians should be done in such a way that they reflect our fully human reality. They can reflect God’s glory and help serve humanity’s good.

So today, don’t dismiss your humanity as a drag on your spiritual life. Instead, recognize that God made the spiritual and the physical and declared that it is “very good indeed.”

Reflection:

• Ask yourself how you might be able to out a fully human life today, a life that reflects the image of God in everything that you do.