We don’t need to go very far to see that God has made us all unique. Our faces, our personality quirks, our thumbprints, and our passions are all gloriously different. Our God is the ultimate creative. Therefore, we should live in a society that protects and upholds our dignity and value as fellow human beings.

Yet, so often this breathtaking diversity is underrated; instead it is replaced with an insurmountable pressure to fit in, to tick the box, to adhere to societal norms. Those who are confident and ambitious are often more successful and sought after than their counterparts, who boast different qualities.

In an imperfect world, filled with imperfect people, what does it look like to embrace and assert that all people have dignity and value?

God’s perspective

Let’s consider God’s perspective for a moment. The truth that God values every human life is manifested magnificently in the story of creation and in the person of Jesus.

Genesis 1:27 says, ‘So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them’. We – all of us – are the pinnacle of God’s creation because we are made in the very image of our wonderful Creator God.

Psalm 139:13-14 puts it beautifully: ‘For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’

We – all of us – have been created with great care, with consideration and with affection. We are not duplicate factory products. Each one of us is treasured. Each one of us is irreplaceable. Each one of us is loved beyond measure.

More stunning still, Jesus embodies our value, securing it by giving up his own life. John 3:16 famously says: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’

We – all of us – are invited! No one is exempt. God went to incredible lengths to reveal his love for the people he created.

The secret to our significance lies in whose we are – not in our abilities, our beauty or our usefulness. This is the solid ground we all yearn for: that even when life hits hard or we mess up big time, our unchanging God welcomes us, receives us and loves us right where we are.

God’s value of human life is nothing short of revolutionary. We – all of us – are SO loved.

Unexpected choices

God is writing wild and wonderful stories in and through each one of us. The Life We Never Expected by Andrew and Rachel Wilson is the autobiographical tale of a couple who have two children with special needs. In one section of the book, Rachel considers the innumerable ways her children bless those around them. She writes:

‘Because our children are secure and tactile little people, they express affection easily and thereby radiate something of the acceptance of God. And simply by being autistic, they draw mercy and compassion from those around them, which increases the currency of God’s qualities in general circulation today.’

Although many people might see the heavy burden on the Wilsons or the great financial cost, Rachel is able to look beyond all that and glimpse the priceless beauty her children bring.

As I read the Bible, it seems to me that so often God makes the unexpected – perhaps even totally absurd – choice when it comes to people. He chooses those who are under-qualified, over-anxious, difficult, and in many cases totally unsuitable!

God chooses to reveal the good news of Jesus’ birth to a bunch of uneducated, impoverished shepherds, when surely it would have made more sense to choose a group with more wealth, understanding and influence. The Pharisees are repeatedly horrified at Jesus’ choice of companions. We see Jesus quite deliberately seeking out those no one else wanted to associate with. He befriends outcasts. He touches the ‘untouchables’. He freely loves the hated.

And this is what God calls us to give our lives to: to reflect the way he loves and values all human beings, to look beyond what our society esteems, and to champion those whom he considers precious.