We All Are Good

I am on day 3, week 2 of the Spiritual Exercises and the scriptures today are from Genesis 1:26-31 NIV:

[26] "Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

[27] So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. [28] God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. ”

[29] Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. [30] And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground---everything that has the breath of life in it---I give every green plant for food. ” And it was so.

[31] God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning---the sixth day."

I was just thinking about the significance of mankind, how we are created in God's likeness. This is no small thing, to bear the likeness of God in our being. All other created things are extensions of His creative nature, beautiful and unique, but only we are are extensions of His likeness. This divine likeness is found in every man, woman and child, and is something that we should recognize with honor. The totality of our uniqueness, is found in God's likeness, and that is amazing.

As for each of us, there is also the knowledge of our being patterned after God, and in Him are all good things. This is really the foundation of our self-worth, for we are all equal in God's eyes. He looked at His creation and called it Very Good, and that included us all. Although creation was an event in time, He is eternal or outside of time, and I think when He created man and woman, He also was able to see us all, every man, woman and child, ever created in time. In other words, from His perspective I am very good, for I was included in His view when He looked and saw all that He made.

I am encouraged by this meditation, to look at those people around me and see their goodness as well. We are all included, every one of us, and we cannot randomly subtract some from God's statement. If He calls us good than we are, and I need to learn to look with His eyes, not the critical eyes of human judgment. Lord, help me to see Your goodness in all.