Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
It's easy to see the differences in people. Even twins—if you look at them side by side, they may look very, very similar, but they each have their own personalities. There are differences that separate them. If we're not too careful, we can focus more on the differences than on what unifies us in our culture and in our world.
The Danger of Division
We focus on racial differences or gender differences, or even in the church, denominational differences. When we step back and we see all of these stories, all of these personalities, and we think about what separates us, it can keep us from moving forward. Division is a big tactic that the enemy likes to use, especially within the church. When something big and crazy happens in the world, you see people taking different sides, becoming factions and standing against one another when God actually calls us to be unified.
It's a prayer of Jesus—He says, "I pray that they are one, as You and I are one." Jesus wants us to be unified. It's so easy to see what makes us different, but what unifies us? Is there anything that can? Yes, and it comes all the way back in the book of Genesis.
Created in God's Image
If we flip our Bibles all the way to the very beginning, we see that God created man and woman in His image. That means that everyone was created to look like God, but everybody looks so different. How is that possible? It's the beauty of creation. When you think over all of time, billions upon billions of people over thousands of years all exemplify God in that they were created by Him. When you see all of this, you think, there's so many differences.
The one thing that unifies all of us is the fact that we are created in God's image. Even the people you disagree with. Here's a touchy point: even people who don't believe in Jesus are created in the image of God. Here's a challenge to us. How does that affect the way that we love them? How can we love someone we disagree with, knowing that they are created in the image of God?
The Power to Love Through Jesus
One, it's only going to be possible through the love that Jesus brings to you. If you're struggling and you're asking yourself, how am I supposed to do this? Ask Jesus for help. Here's a powerful truth that will wrap our time together today. God actually finishes this Scripture by asking the question, "Is anything too hard for Me?"
What precedes it is talking about all these people He's created and how He is the God of all of them. I think God is using humanity and the complexity of each person to point to the fact that all things are possible through Him. Imagine Him saying something like this: If you look at all the different personalities in the world and all the different skin colors and imaginations and life experiences, and you think about it over the spread of humanity for all of time—if you think of how beautifully complex that is, and you as one man or one woman come to Me with anything burdening you, wondering, is anything going to happen with this? Look at the world and see it as proof that if I can do all of that, I can handle what you have right now.
God is using the proof of humanity to remind us that nothing is impossible for Him. Come to Him. Trust Him with your situation. Trust Him with the impossibilities that are sitting right in front of you. Remember that if He created everybody to be unique and to be loved like Jesus would love, He can handle what you have in front of you right now.