Addressing Humanity in Your Parenting
Life is a gift from God. Humanity began by the breath of God (Gen. 2:7), and if God were to withdraw his breath from humans, they would perish (Job 34:14–15).
The lives of ALL People, both their own and others’, are to be cherished and guarded.
Either way, Christ’s love controls us.
– 2 Corinthians 5:14-20 (NLT)
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view.
At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view.
How differently we know him now!
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.
And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.
Created in the Image of God
The value of human life is intrinsic, and comes from God, who made human beings in his own image (Gen. 1:26–27). Without this basic principle of the value of human life in place, we are often challenged to consider a number of ethical issues concerning the beginning and the end of life such as abortion, euthanasia, and the treatment of children, the disabled, and the elderly.
How, then, shall Christians respond to pain and suffering in those who are unable to care for themselves? And how can we teach our child(ten) to see others as God sees them?
In considering this question, we need to remember that the value and dignity of human life is grounded in the fact the God is the giver of life. Human worth does not fluctuate with the level of perceived usefulness of a person to society or the degree of suffering they are experiencing, for human worth is grounded in the image of God. A child, disabled person, or elderly person is no less the image of God than anyone else.
We first remember that Jesus had compassion not only for the sick (Matt. 14:14) but also for those with physical, emotional, and spiritual needs (e.g., Matt. 9:36; Mark 8:2; Luke 7:13). Likewise, Paul teaches believers to “put on . . . compassionate hearts” (Col. 3:12). The disabled and the sick not only suffer from physical pain and discomfort, they are also often troubled emotionally and spiritually. It is therefore vital, and deeply Christian, to provide compassionate care, to both body and soul, to those who are suffering.
As we look at the Bible’s teaching, a child, the disabled, and the elderly, even when they are dependent on others or are sick or dying, deserve the same respect granted to anyone else. Christians are the the dignity of life, rooted as it is in the image of God.
The value and dignity of human life is derived from God the Creator and is rooted in the fact that all humans have been created in God’s image. Based on God’s love, Christians are to called to extend compassion and care to those who are suffering or vulnerable—unborn or born, young or old.
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