HOW TO BE HUMAN

If you are reading this, then you are human. You can breathe, eat, and sleep. You try to live your life as normal as you can. Some of you live by the motto, "you, do you."

Is being human difficult? Is there an owner's manual for how to be a better human being? Yes and yes!. It is difficult living in this sin filled world and yes God has given us a rule book to follow, it's the Bible. But the Bible shouldn't have to tell you how to be human. You were born with an innate sense of being human. You are not a machine, with no sense of purpose. God gave you a brain, a heart, two lungs, and your reasoning and common sense. Also, we have five dominate senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste

So why can't we treat people with common dignity and respect? How can you be human and don't act like you are human? This never ceases to amaze me.

But maybe you are lost and need a refresher course of being a better human being. Let's look at these concepts and see how you measure up:

* Be kind. This should be obvious and easy, but there are so many people who seem

to forget how much a difference in kindness can make. Kindness breeds kindness.

When we are kind to each other, it becomes contagious.

* Help others and care about others. There is not a single person in the world

that doesn't need some type of help. We are all facing some type of issue. Whatever

you are going through, someone else's issue is far greater than yours.

* Be grateful for what you have. We spend so much of our time thinking about what

we don't have or that we don't have enough of. Be thankful for what you do have.

To be human means to be morally responsible. We have the ability to discern what is right and wrong. We are held responsible for the moral choices we make.

To be human means to bear the image of God. We are not divine, but we should reflect divinity. God made us different from all His other creations. We have a physical body and a spiritual component: a soul and spirit. We were created in the image of God.

As image bearers, we have intellect, emotions, and free will. Because we were created in the image of God, we have basic dignity. God is divine, He operates from the realm of divinity. The scripture helps us to understand that God has given us everything that is necessary for godly living.

We are to be partakers of God's divine nature. Peter provides us with an outline of what God desires for us as His image bearer. I do believe that it describes the true definition on how to be human.

"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great precious promises: that these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." (2 Peter 1:3-7)