I was made aware of something today that has changed a big, major belief that I’ve had most of my life. You probably have this belief also. It’s the belief that, when we mess up, when we do something completely stupid, hurt someone’s feelings, make some big mistake…we find ourselves saying, “Well, I’m only human.”
The something that I learned today is going to stop me from saying that ever again…not for those reasons anyways. No more blaming my mistakes, my dumb stuff, my sin on my humanity…on “being human.”
The problem with that belief system is that it completely ignores what it means to “be human.” Yes, we are humans, and yes, we fall short. We sin. We make mistakes. We hurt other people. But if you only look at being human in view of what we get wrong, then we’re looking at it all…well, wrong.
When Jesus died on the cross and rose again three days later, it wasn’t simply to take away our punishment so that we get to go to heaven. Yes, that’s part of it. A wonderful part of it. And of course, it’s very important to deal with morals, with sin, with misbehavior. But as I read today, sin is more than simply breaking the rules.
Sin is the failure to be genuinely human.
Our goal, I have discovered, is to be genuinely human. We should want to be human!
The Greek word for sin is hamartia and it means “missing the mark”…like an archer with his arrow loaded into his bow, aiming at the target, pulling back, letting go…and missing it. Even if it’s only by a little bit.
But what is the “target”? Is the target perfection? Is the target to stop sinning? Behaving better? Being nice?
Nope.
The target is genuine humanness.
And what is genuine humanness? Reflecting God’s image.
Remember…God created us human. That’s not a flaw. That’s not a death sentence. That’s not a prison in which we are slaves to and bound to sin.
Being created human is a blessing and a privilege. After all, He made us in His image.
Genesis 1:26-28 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. …So God created human beings in his image. In the image of God he created them. …God blessed them…” (ICB)
Then in verse 31, it says, “God looked at everything he had made, and it was very good.”
According to the One who created us, it is very good to be human.
It’s ok to be human.
The presence of sin in the world is what holds us in its tight grip. Not being human. When Jesus died for our sin, it released us from the tight grip of sin’s power. Following Jesus, then, frees us to be human…the way God intended for us to be from Day One.
So from now on, “I’m only human” shouldn’t be associated with sin, with less-than-desirable behavior.
“I’m only human” should be associated with all the good things. All the Godly things. All of our God-desirable behavior. Things we do that express love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
THAT is what it means to be “only human.”
So go out and be human today! It’s what you were created to do.
the girl ramsey 