God's Global Community
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
26 God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.” 27 So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women. 28 God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth. 29 I have provided all kinds of fruit and grain for you to eat. 30 And I have given the green plants as food for everything else that breathes, including animals, both wild and tame, and birds. And so it was. 31 God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Evening came, then morning—that was the sixth day.
Genesis 1:26-31
Memory Verse
Colossians 1:16
16 Everything was created by him, everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, including all forces and powers, and all rulers and authorities. All things were created by God's Son, and everything was made for him.
Did you know that God made every person on earth? And that no two of us are the same? When our family went to China to adopt our youngest three children, Chinese culture felt very unfamiliar to us. For our new children, however, it was home! Just because we were different from each other didn’t mean we couldn’t get to know each other. And it didn’t mean that we couldn’t become a family! Seeing so many different foods and traditions gave us a new respect for God’s creativity and how much he loves variety.
In Colossians 1:16, Paul reminds us that God created everything. God made every person, every mountain, every continent, and every ocean. The book of Genesis tells us that God created us “in his image.” That means all people are loved and valuable in God’s eyes! Some people want to say one type of person is better or more valuable than others, but God made everyone and loves everyone. Because he made us different from each other, we need to respect every person’s value, because that value was given to us by God himself!
God created an incredible global community, and you are a part of it. Remember that God loves everyone equally. So go ahead and reach out and help others who might be different from you. Show respect and you may learn something fascinating. Maybe you have a new best friend out there that you haven’t even met yet! Who knows what you will find when you are open to all that God has created?
Prayer
God, help me to remember that you created everyone and you love us all. Thank you for making so many interesting things! Help me to appreciate all you’ve created, and to be a good friend even when someone is different from me! Amen.Related Resources
Jennifer Shaw
Jennifer Shaw is a Telly Award-winning speaker, author, and singer/songwriter and a 5-time top 40 Billboard artist. Her children's book, "Dumplings Mean Family," is a true story based on her family's journey of adopting three children from China. Shaw is a Compassion International artist, and has been featured on Insight for Living, FamilyLife Radio, and Joni and Friends. Her previous book "Life Not Typical: How Special Needs Parenting Changed my Faith and my Song " was used as a resource by Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization.