Designed For Love Have you ever wondered why God made us man and woman? Why are we not all the same sex, like snails? Read Genesis 1:26-27. In whose image are we created? Do our bodies look ilke God? (John 4:24.) In what way should we resemble God? (1 John 4:8.) In Genesis 1:27 you read these important words: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." In the previous verse God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over... all the earth, and over all the creatures..." These words make human beings unique. In what ways are we different from the other creatures? Let us remember firstly that man is different from the animal world. He is the only creature created "in the image" of God. Many people believe that man is nothing more than an animal - a very intelligent animal perhaps - but nothing more. But the Bible, science and human experience all show clearly that man is a unique creature. Secondly, man stands in a special relationship to God. God appointed man as his representative to rule over this world. God holds man responsible for what he does in and to the world. Man was not created to b~e alone in the vast universe - man was created to honour, worship and love God. Thirdly, as Genesis 1:27 suggests, the image of God in man does not refer to man's appearance. And it is not only men who bear the image of God. Man and woman together are called the image of God. Human beings are the image of God, when they stand in the right relationship to God and to each other. Men and women were created by God to love one another - they were "designed for love". We cannot live without love. Without love mankind loses the image of God and becomes worse than the wild animals. God is Love (1 John 4:8). God communicates with himself: Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in perfect communion and harmony with one another. That image of communion, harmony, fellowship and love was also given to mankind. "Let us make man in our image", said God (Genesis 1:26). We were designed by God to have fellowship, to love one another, to live in harmony, to communicate with one another. As we saw in Genesis 2:18-24, no other creature can be a suitable helper for man, except his wife. The husband and wife help each other and together they form a unity (one flesh). In Genesis 1 - 3 we see the perfect harmony in God's original creation. The first part of Genesis 3:8 shows that man was in beautiful and constant fellowship with God. Chapter 2 shows that man was in perfect harmony with creation. He was also in perfect harmony with himself - he was good in both body and soul. And he was in perfect harmony with his wife. We were designed to love one another, to love God and to love and care for His creation. What happened to this beautiful "image of God" that could be seen in the first man and woman? We will find out in the next chapter. Prayer: O God, please forgive me that so little of your unselfish love  is seen in me. Change me, so that others may get to know your love through  me. Amen. Questions to Discuss in the Group 1. In what way are human beings different from animals? 2. Why do some men not consider women as equally created in God's image? 3. What would this world be like without any love? 4. Why are we not all created the same, and of the same sex?