This past week, my grandson Andrew texted me and stated that he had to interview me for school. He gave me the questions:

1. What do you think makes human beings different from animals?
2. How was that belief formed?

To be honest, and for this, I apologize, Andrew. When he asked me these questions, my mind did not go to the actual questions. My mind went to what he might perceive, being that we had a conversation about humans evolving from apes, a couple months ago. This is what my mind thought through rather than the actual questions that he asked. How many times do we do this? Make things harder than they are due to our own preconceived ideas.

So, for starters, this is not something that animals do. Animals don’t dwell on what people have said and maybe think they were referring to something else. Actually, I wish we were more like animals in this regard. By observation of animals, I can say this:

They don’t lie. They don’t try to use persuasion through speech to get you to think a certain way. We could learn a lot from animals. They, like humans, wish to be loved. Unlike some humans, they try to do anything and everything to please you. Although, they can be bullheaded and not want to do what you instruct them to do. Animals are a product of their training, but mostly, they live by instinct. They do what comes naturally to them.

As a Christian, everything I know and live by comes through my belief in God and the salvation that His Son brings. So, I see God everywhere and in everything. The decisions that I make, I make in regard to what I know of God. Everything I see, it is through the lens of Scripture. So, when I ask any question, it is either through my own experience or what I have learned Biblically or just trying to learn what is the truth of a matter. At times, my own selfishness, gets in the way of this.

We have all been born with a sin nature and many things that seem to be instinct or natural to us, opposes the Word of God. It is only as we die to self and allow the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside out that we can live abundantly and in peace.

In Genesis 1:24, on the 6th day of creation, God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to it’s kind”. Of course, there is more to this verse, but I am going to stop there. There we have it, we are different from animals (creatures) in that they are made according to their kind, yet…

In Genesis 1:26, He said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness:” So, we have the likeness of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He goes on to say to let man have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Animals were not given this role, humans were and still are responsible for the animals and the earth. Even the most advanced animal does not have a religious nature. By being made in God’s image, means that we are personal, rational and moral beings which differs from animals.

We were created, placed in dominion over the earth and animals, He crowned us with grace and honor (according to Psalm 8:5-8), yet subject to God our Creator.

This I do know. God loves His creation. He loves animals and He loves you and me.