Learning to Lovewell: W1 - FRI
Male and Female
Genesis 1:27 (NLT) "So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
The image of God is so rich, so multifaceted, that it takes both male and female to fully reflect it. This isn't about one being superior to the other, it's about both being necessary to display the fullness of God's character.
Think about this: God could have created just one gender. But instead, God chose to reflect His image through the beautiful diversity of male and female, each bringing unique aspects of God's nature into the world.
This tells us something profound about love: love celebrates difference rather than demanding sameness. Love sees diversity as strength, not as a problem to solve. Love recognizes that we need each other's unique perspectives to see God more clearly.
This principle extends far beyond gender. In every relationship, marriage, friendship, church, workplace, we encounter people who are different from us. Different personalities, different backgrounds, different ways of thinking and processing life. Learning to Lovewell means seeing these differences as gifts rather than threats.
Too often, we try to love people by making them more like us. We want them to think like we think, value what we value, approach life the way we approach life. But Genesis 1 suggests that God delights in diversity. The image of God is big enough to be reflected in countless different ways.
Jesus surrounded Himself with an incredibly diverse group of disciples. Impulsive Peter and thoughtful John. Tax collector Matthew and zealot Simon. They were all different, and their differences made them stronger as a group, not weaker.
When we learn to love people in their uniqueness rather than trying to change them into our image, we discover things about God we never would have seen otherwise. We need their perspective. We need their gifts. We need their unique way of reflecting God's character.
Genesis 1:27 (NLT) "So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
The image of God is so rich, so multifaceted, that it takes both male and female to fully reflect it. This isn't about one being superior to the other, it's about both being necessary to display the fullness of God's character.
Think about this: God could have created just one gender. But instead, God chose to reflect His image through the beautiful diversity of male and female, each bringing unique aspects of God's nature into the world.
This tells us something profound about love: love celebrates difference rather than demanding sameness. Love sees diversity as strength, not as a problem to solve. Love recognizes that we need each other's unique perspectives to see God more clearly.
This principle extends far beyond gender. In every relationship, marriage, friendship, church, workplace, we encounter people who are different from us. Different personalities, different backgrounds, different ways of thinking and processing life. Learning to Lovewell means seeing these differences as gifts rather than threats.
Too often, we try to love people by making them more like us. We want them to think like we think, value what we value, approach life the way we approach life. But Genesis 1 suggests that God delights in diversity. The image of God is big enough to be reflected in countless different ways.
Jesus surrounded Himself with an incredibly diverse group of disciples. Impulsive Peter and thoughtful John. Tax collector Matthew and zealot Simon. They were all different, and their differences made them stronger as a group, not weaker.
When we learn to love people in their uniqueness rather than trying to change them into our image, we discover things about God we never would have seen otherwise. We need their perspective. We need their gifts. We need their unique way of reflecting God's character.
- How can you celebrate someone's differences rather than trying to change them to be more like you?
- What unique aspect of God's image do you see reflected in the people closest to you?
- How might your community or family be stronger because of its diversity rather than despite it?
By Andreas Beccai
Crosswalk Redlands
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Posted in Learning to Lovewell 2026
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