Precious Life

"And I will require the blood of anyone

who takes another person's life.

If a wild animal kills a person,

it must die.

And anyone who murders a fellow human must die.

If anyone takes a human life,

that person's life will also be taken by human hands.

For God made human beings in his own image."

Genesis 9:5-6 NLT

The quilt hanging on my living room wall was more than just a decoration; it was a family heirloom.  My great Aunt had created it with her own hand, using fabric taken from favorite dresses that had worn out and been banished to the scrap heap.  Each color in the pattern reminded my ancestor of the memories made while wearing those garments.  

For me, however, it held an even greater value than a memento of days gone by.  This handmade keepsake hung as a gentle reminder of the importance of life and the character qualities God placed in each of us:  Traits such as creativity, the ability to forgive, and the desire to love.  This quilt reminds me of how precious each life is.

Since God took such great care in putting me together, much as my kin took the time to develop a pattern, choose colors that complemented each other and carefully stitch each block together so that the finished product would be both pleasing to the eye and meaningful to the heart, I must look upon the life He created as precious.  In fact, God holds each of us accountable for the lives of all men and women, each of whom were made in His image.  Therefore, while I must hold all life as precious, human beings are to be especially well-regarded.

Protect

The precious jewel was never flaunted, but kept under lock and key.  Great pains were taken to protect this gem from the harmful effects of the elements and was never carelessly left laying around where a thief could simply pocket it for himself.  

While jewelry is often treated as valuable, life is not always cherished.   Unborn babies are ruthlessly murdered in an effort to get rid of a woman's inconvenient burden.  The elderly are easily ignored and many times neglected or abused by those who don't recognize their worth.  Even those who do not possess the power that comes from having the means to provide for all their own needs find themselves tossed aside like so much garbage.

Instead of judging which segments of society are important, God says every life He so painstakingly created is precious.  Therefore, my fellow man is to be protected as a precious jewel.

God holds me accountable for the steps I take to protect every human life.

Revere

"What an idiot!"  she shrieked as the driver of a racy sports car cut her off in traffic.  I can relate!  It's easy to let my temper get the best of me while driving in rush hour traffic. While its natural to lash out at a stranger who so recklessly jeopardized my life, if I am to take God and His teachings seriously, I must revere my fellow man.

While I can justify my demeaning attitude toward others, from God's point of view there is never an occasion when it is appropriate to degrade the lives He created.  This means that those who bring me down with their lousy outlook on life are not losers, as I am so quick to label them, but simply image-bearers who need Jesus as much as I do.

For the criminals who languish in prison, seeming to be a waste of the DNA so painstakingly placed with purpose in their tissue, I must see them as men and women created for a specific purpose for which they don't yet comprehend.

As easy as it is for me to scorn the drunk who panhandles at the side of the road and seems to want nothing more from life than a few more dollars so he can score his next bottle, it is vital that I remember his position in this world as one created for relationship with his Creator.

God holds me accountable for intentionally revering every human life.

Honor

"Life sucks!"  It's easy for me to adopt this commonplace attitude, especially when it seems everything is going wrong.  In fact, one of my favorite and oft-quoted sayings is Murphy's Law which states, "If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong."

The problem with this negative mindset is that it assumes the worst of life.  While it may seem from my lowly perspective that everything is going wrong and life is simply a serious of unfortunate events, the reality of God's plan tells me that He has created me for a specific purpose that will bring good into my life as well as hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

It's easy to ignore this truth, however, when I get bogged down in my own narrow way of seeing things.  While I may expect my day to go according to my own plan, a snafu may simply be God's way of setting me back on His path so I can enjoy His blessings.  When the car breaks down, my knee blows out and the air-conditioning stops working, I can either see this as the worst day ever or a time where God is trying to get my attention, refocusing my efforts back to His kingdom and giving me a chance to trust Him.

Life has not been given to me so that I can focus only on the negative.  Instead, I am to view each day as a gift, seeing it not as a series of ill-fated episodes but rather as a new opportunity to give thanks to my Father above and to encourage those around me with this truth.

God holds me accountable for choosing to honor my life as a gift.

All life on earth is valuable to God, but He especially holds human life in high regard.  Therefore, if I am to follow Him with all of my heart, I must take specific steps to protect life, especially the more vulnerable segments of society.  I would also do well to revere life, choosing not to speak ill of others or judge them as less important.  Finally, knowing that the life God has given to me is precious, it is important that I take each day with a thankful heart.  In these ways I will honor life as precious.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can hold all life as dear.

When do I look down on others, even if it's only in my mind?

How am I showing a lack of respect for life in the way I view the difficulties of each day?