Implications of Difficult People Being Image-Bearers

I want you to think of one person (or even a type of person) that you find it difficult to enjoy being around. Perhaps it’s because of their personality being different than yours. Perhaps it’s because they think or believe differently than you do on a topic you consider to be extremely important. Perhaps their background is so divergent from yours that it is difficult to imagine anything you have in common. Perhaps they simply drain you emotionally every time they come around.

What is the first thought that comes to mind when you see this individual? Ok, let’s make it easier – what are the first few thoughts that come to mind? Somewhere in there, do you actively consider that this person is created by God and has his image stamped on them? That they are his handiwork? That he delights in them? What does your own demeanor convey to people who are challenging for you to naturally enjoy? As just a few examples, would someone from another political affiliation want to come to you because they sense warmth and goodwill from you? Would a homosexual trust you and believe you love them (even if you don’t approve of their lifestyle)? Would an outspoken or socially awkward person sense that you care for them as people?

John Newton (the 18th-century pastor and author of the hymn “Amazing Grace”) was not overly turned off by people or carried away by them. He said the following: “Apollos met with two candid people in the church [Aquila and Priscilla in Acts 18]: they neither ran away because he was legal, nor were carried away because he was eloquent.” In other words, Aquila and Priscilla did not look down their noses at Apollos because he lacked in some of his understanding, nor were they spellbound by his gift of rhetoric. Instead, they look past those strengths and weaknesses straight to his worth as a person made in God’s image. This gave him dignity. And this gave them compassion and patience as they engaged with him. Newton exemplified this in his own life as well, and he was well-known for it. (Here is one example of a life that intersected with Newton’s that he loved well.)

Who is the person you’re tempted to run away from when you see them coming, or the person who is synonymous with thoughts of criticism in your heart? Ask our gracious God to pour his love into your heart for this person. Remember they are made by God, and he loves them. Christ died for them. As C.S. Lewis once said, that person will either one day be a creature you’d now be tempted to worship (if they are a believer that you will share eternity with in Heaven) or a nightmarish horror (if they will forever be separated from God). Important and eternal realities are at stake in terms of how we view the people around us.

This post is the fifth in a series deriving from the “Staying Friends Through Disagreement” seminar that took place at Rocky Creek in April 2026. If you’d like to receive the PDF note packet and audio version of that seminar, you may email allen@rockycreek.church.