“God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may be masters over all the wild animals and creatures upon the earth.’” Genesis 1:26
We are made in God’s image.
But we tend to forget that means we have many of the same emotions and characteristics that He does. Just as God is Master over us, we are masters to our pets. If we have such strong emotions and love for our pets, then we can be sure that these are a small shadow of the infinitely greater love that God has for us.
When I look at my cat Boots, I am amazed when I consider the creator of such a beautiful, wonderfully-made creature! Boots has beautiful, bright green eyes that are full of life, a graceful stride, and soft, perfectly-patterned fur made especially for petting sessions. But above all, God’s greatest work of art is each and every one of us, created uniquely in His image.
“For we are God's masterpiece, created in the Messiah Jesus to perform good actions that God prepared long ago to be our way of life” (Ephesians 2:10, ISV).
I love my cat Boots and I’m not even one of the true crazy cat people – just moderately crazy. I have several nicknames for him (including Booty), and I treasure all of his little quirks. To me, he’s just the smartest, cutest thing in the world. I’ve never gotten tired of his adorableness.
Do you think God, the One who knows everything about you, feels anything less? No, infinitely greater! God loves you more deeply than you could imagine (Ephesians 3:18-19). He even gave us cute little animals to make our hearts melt.
I talk about my cat – probably too much at times – and I enjoy hanging with him. I even have a photo of Boots as the background on my phone. I love my cat. He is not just mine, but I totally own that fact and brag that he is mine. God does the same with us!
“God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. ‘I have written your name on my hand,’ he declares.” – Max Lucado
Many people like cats because they are funny creatures. Sometimes Boots leaves his tongue out after he meows and it’s hilarious. Just recently, when he noticed The Aristocats playing on TV, his eyes got huge and were glued to it for 20 minutes. God loves to see us laugh. The Bible tells of His sense of humor and speaks of God laughing. And if we laugh, then we know God laughs even greater!
My cat is very mischievous. He loves to play, fetch, and explore new things (like grocery bags). Every morning when I get dressed, Boots jumps on the overhead rack in my closet. He walks back and forth all over my folded clothes, sometimes knocking some down. But I don’t get mad or yell, because he’s adorable and I love him.
Now I’m not saying that God likes when we do bad stuff or that He won’t correct us or let us experience consequences – because He will. But I am saying that if I’m patient with my cat because I love him, then God is unimaginably patient with you. When certain things feel unforgivable and too big of a mess to clean up, God reminds you that He’s big enough to easily fold things back up – and that He still adores you.
“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalms 86:15
If you feel like you’ve been needing forgiveness, love, or have been wanting to know God more intimately, just ask Him! He's sure to answer you.
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