Day Two 40 Days of Focus: Relationships

Have you ever been in a room where someone else was present and yet they were not really present? Physical presence is not the same as giving of yourself. Many times people will pretend to listen, even going so far as to make sounds in response to imply they are paying attention. It's easy to feel the lack of effort. You may have experienced this recently. You may even have done it to someone else. Real relationships come from real presence. What keeps you from really giving all your attention to others?

Day One: 40 Days of Focus: Relationships

Imago Dei, “The Image of God.” Genesis 1:27 says, “Let us make man in our image.” Although scholars throughout the ages have struggled to agree on the exact meaning of this term, it is clear that you and I were made to bear the imprint of God. When I see you, I see God. Not long ago I was looking at a calendar my mom received from her brother. It was a family calendar with old black and white pictures from their childhood which he had cleverly arranged with everyone’s birthday in mind. When I turned to April, I saw a picture of my mother at age 12, sitting on the grass in her front yard. It was almost unbelievable how much my 11 year-old daughter looked like her. Claire bears the image of her grandmother. They look alike. But it doesn’t stop there. They also have similar mannerisms, preferences and personality. When God looks at you, He sees Himself and He is drawn to you. If you do nothing special today, know that you are special still.