According
to Genesis 1:26-28, God made us in His image, in His likeness. Nothing else in
God’s creation was made in His image. If we were made in God’s image, there is
something about us that is distinctive, exceptional, and even Holy. In what
ways are we like God? Unlike any other creature in the world, we possess the
gift of free will. We are capable of choosing our actions, choosing between
good and evil. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden was
placed there by God, so that we would be able to exercise our free will. Why
did God give us the gift of free will, when He knew we would succumb to
temptation and choose evil? It is only through free will that we can express
love. God loves us infinitely, and all He asks of us is to love Him in return
and to love one another. This is God’s purpose for us. This is why we were
created. There is no greater gift we could have been given than the ability to
choose to love.
God
placed in us all the qualities necessary for us to act in love. Christ revealed
to us the attributes required to love as He loves us in the Beatitudes of
Matthew 5. We all possess the potential to develop these attributes. However,
we must exercise our free will and choose to become what God intended us to be.
If we cannot love a God who died for us, who loves us so much that “though he was in the form of
God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but
emptied himself, taking the form
of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being
found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8), how can we love anyone?
Although it is our God-given nature to be good, we often choose
evil. Evil is the lack of love. In essence, when we sin we choose to withhold
love. Instead, we choose to love ourselves. For example, when we steal, we
choose to consider our needs or desires greater than another’s. When we gossip,
we delight in portraying another as more flawed than ourselves, and thereby,
making ourselves to feel we are better in some way. When we engage in sexual
activity for the sake of sex, we use the other person as an object simply for
our transitory physical pleasure, without respect or regard for him/her as a
loving human being. When we allow ourselves to fall into alcoholism or drug
addiction, we do not regard the consequences this has on our families and
friends. It is purely the quest for our own transitory pleasure, which
ultimately destroys us. Selfishness and the lack of love destroy us. We were
made to love.
We
cannot experience God’s kind of love, infinite love, divine love, apart from
Him. We cannot resist the temptation of evil without Him. Christ implants the
Holy Spirit within us to teach us and guide us, to help us develop those
attributes that allow us to act in love. Humility teaches us to deny ourselves
and allows us to open the door to love. Meekness is required to control our
negative emotions and desires. It teaches us patience and helps us deny the desire
for instant gratification. Mournfulness reminds us that we are flawed and that
we are no better than anyone else. It allows us to be honest with ourselves. It
teaches us that becoming like Christ is our goal. Mercifulness teaches us
kindness and compassion for all human beings. Forgiveness is the greatest gift
we can give to others. Our ability to have mercy on others is tested daily.
These are only some examples.
God created us
to love and He placed in us the attributes necessary to truly love others as
ourselves. However, He also gave us the ability to choose to act in love. Every
day, we have numerous opportunities to love or withhold love, to love God or
reject Him, to love others or love ourselves. We are able to love others as God
loves us through the Holy Spirit within us who reveals Christ to us and who
allows us to know God. Saint Seraphim of Sarov says "the true goal of
our Christian life consists in the acquisition of the Holy Spirit." We
have the ability to acquire the Holy Spirit by knowing and loving God.
St.
Clement of Alexandria said that "The
greatest of all lessons is to know oneself; for if one knows himself, he will
know God; and if he knows God, he will become like God." Because we
were made in the image of God, we have the ability to know God and love as He
loves. We have the potential of becoming like Christ. It is a process, a daily
journey we take with God at our side, until He calls us out of this world. At
that moment, we will experience a metamorphosis. We will be like Christ, pure
and sanctified, filled with His divine love.
Discover
who you are in Christ. The attributes given to us by Jesus in the Beatitudes are those valued by God. Developing these traits teaches us how to love and helps us live
happier lives with more fulfilled relationships. They unlock our potential. Do
you possess these traits and to what degree? Find out what attributes you need
to develop in order to reach your potential. The FREE workbook, “Who Am I?
Discover Yourself” also includes “8 Steps to
Healing Wounded Relationships” as taught by Christ through the Beatitudes.
We
often spend time caring for our physical health, exercising or watching what we
eat, but we do not always spend enough time on our spiritual or emotional
well-being. Often, ignoring our emotional health leads to anxiety and stress.
Our physical well-being may extend our lives, but our spiritual welfare
determines the quality of our lives. Take the time to reflect on your spiritual
and emotional development in order to realize your potential and help you
improve your relationships.
This 14
page workbook in pdf format includes:
- 3 questionnaires to help you discover yourself
- A chart to help you analyze the traits you possess, which are valued by God
- Opportunities for reflection
- Identify which attributes you admire in yourself and others
- Determine which characteristics are your strengths and weaknesses in developing better relationships
Follow this link to receive your FREE workbook TODAY:
http://www.helenkamenos.com/free_workbook/
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