By Robert Duvall (Elder)

What do we believe?

 We believe that God created man in His own image, making men and women with distinct qualities and roles, yet equal in dignity.

Why do we believe this?

Psalm 8:3-9 – When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

 Why does it matter?

God has given us a huge responsibility to care for each other and to care for His creation. Being similar to God by being created in His image, we have a God-given desire to love and to be loved. We have the unique ability to stand in awe of a beautiful sunset, look in utter amazement at the breath-taking, snow-capped Rocky Mountains, or to get chills from a musical work of art. These are some of the wonderful gifts that make us uniquely human, yet similar to God. We should always demonstrate our appreciation and respect for His creation and for His Word. When we dig into His Word, we quickly learn that this awe, amazement, and chills that we receive from His creation pale in comparison to experiencing God Himself. We see that God has given men and women specific roles to fulfill while on earth, and His love is unwavering and equally distributed to both. We are equally important in God’s eyes! For any of us to be considered important to God is truly an honor, and this should give us chills more than anything else! Slow down today and thank God for the honor He has bestowed upon you as His unique creation. Thank Him also for giving us the ability to appreciate our beautiful planet, much the same way in which He does. We are charged with taking care of His creation and taking care of each other. Let’s not disappoint our Heavenly Father today.