CPR #7—Growth in Understanding and Enjoyment

Human beings are made in the image of God. Whatever else that means, it certainly means they are of infinite worth. Every person, regardless of their background or status, has been imprinted with God's image, the imago Dei. This truth is foundational to how we should see and relate to others.

Genesis 1:26–27, "Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

This divine image is not reserved for the righteous or the impressive. It is the defining characteristic of every human soul. When we look into another person's face, we are looking at someone who bears the mark of their Creator. Even if they are at a low point in life, even if their choices have led them far from righteousness, there is still something of God in them.

C.S. Lewis once wrote these amazing words:

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship" (from The Weight of Glory).

We are more than what we seem in this moment. One day, for those in Christ, the reality of our transformed selves will be fully revealed. The weaknesses, sins, and struggles that mark us now will be stripped away, and what remains will be glorious.

One of the most practical ways to love people as Christ commands is to see them not just for who they are, but for who they will become. Especially when dealing with fellow believers, we should remember that their story is not yet finished. God is at work in them, shaping them into something beautiful, and one day they will stand in perfected glory. This should influence how we treat them today. We can strive to understand them better and enjoy them more.

But what about those who do not know Christ? How can we grow in our understanding and enjoyment of them?

A good place to start is by remembering our own past. Ephesians 2:1–2 reminds us that we, too, were once lost: "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world."

We know what it is like to be trapped in sin, to chase after things that cannot satisfy, and to live apart from God. This understanding should not lead us to condemnation but to compassion. Instead of responding with harshness or judgment, we can extend kindness and grace. After all, we were once blind, and yet God was patient with us.

Even in their rebellion, those who do not yet know Christ still bear his image. It may be distorted, covered in layers of sin, but it is not erased. That means every person you encounter—no matter how broken, no matter how far from God—has worth.

Jesus modeled this in the way he treated people. He didn’t reserve his time for the morally upright. He pursued tax collectors, prostitutes, and outcasts, people the religious elite had written off. He saw not just what they were, but what they could become in him.

If we truly want to reflect Christ’s love, we must do the same. Instead of dismissing or devaluing people because of their current state, we should view them through the lens of eternity. They are either on their way to glory or in desperate need of it. Either way, they are worth our time, our care, and our love.

Romans 12:10 says, "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." This is not a call to mere tolerance. It is a call to true love, to deep appreciation, to genuine enjoyment of others. It means valuing people not for what they can do for us, but for who they are—image-bearers of God, eternal beings with eternal destinies.

CPR #7 can be difficult for those who live will a very difficult person. How does one enjoy Hitler? I'm not suggesting it's always easy, cut, and dry. But it should be a goal within the wider framework CPR offers.