It Is Not Good To Be Alone
VIDEO SERMONSPICE – ‘My Friends And God”
Socrates said; "there is no possession more valuable than a good and faithful friend."
Francis Bacon said, "friendship doubles joys and halves grief’s..."
Mark Twain said; "to get the full value out of joy, you must have someone to divide it with..."
God says;
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down his friend can help him help. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also if 2 lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can on keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
• 2 are, better than one.
• It is good, to have someone to help you get back up.
• To stand with you as you defend yourself
• A cord of three strands is not easily broken…
In the beginning God created everything. Light, galaxies, starts, sun, moon, planets, earth, land, water, clouds, sky, trees, plants, mountains, rivers, birds, fish, plants, animals… THERE – was nothing… THEN – there was everything! QUESTION – what did God say after each creative act? (it was good).
AND – on day 6 of this creative process God finally (with a huge smile of his faces, no doubt) got down to what was the purpose of everything that he had spoken into existence. “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” - Genesis 1:26 CIRCLE - in our image, in our likeness..
QUESTION - what does that mean? NOW – obviously God could not reproduce himself and create another God since He is absolute and therefore unique… BUT – God did the next best thing… He created beings in his own image… AND – to be in God’s image and likeness (involves many things… LIKE – being able to think, reason, plan, dream, feel, choose, create, love)… BUT LISTEN – I am ABSOLUTELY convinced that at it’s core being made in God’s image and likeness IS ABOUT relationships… is about connecting with AND enjoying that awesome divine community (Father, Son & Spirit)… AND - connecting with and enjoying each other…
AND BECAUSE – this is true… God says the following in Genesis 2:18; “And the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him…"
CIRCLE - "It is not good for the man to be alone… UNDERSTAND – when God created Adam… at first it was just Him. Sure he had a beautiful garden to live in. And all kinds of animals to live with and he even got to name them. (that had to be pretty cool)… AND – even though he looked as if he had all he needed (a perfect world to live in with NO; health problems, financial problems, career concerns, relational turmoil or retirement issues) … There was still something missing in his life… YOU SEE – Adam was alone… AND – God said that this was not good…
WHY? - because man was made in God’s image… AND AGAIN - the very essence, the foundation of being in God’s image and likeness is relationship, is community… UNDERSTAND – man was created not only to connect with God… BUT – also with each other…
“And the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone… AND – Oh how we know this to be true…
There is a little book called, The All Better Book, in it elementary school kids try to solve some of the world’s toughest problem: (what to do about the ozone layer, how to help people stop smoking)… Here’s one of the toughest problems that was handed to this little (but wise ones)… “With billions of people in the world, someone should be able to figure out a system where no one is lonely. What do you suggest?
Kalani, age 8; ‘People should find lonely people and ask their name and address. Then ask people who aren’t lonely their name and address. When you have an even amount of each, assign lonely people and not lonely people together in the newspaper.
Max, age 9; ‘make food that talks to you when you eat. For instance, it would say, ‘How are you doing?’ and ‘what happened to you today?’
Matt, age 8; ‘we could get people a pet or a husband or wife and take them places.’
Brian, age 8; ‘Sing a song. Stomp your feet. Read a book. (Sometimes I think no one loves me, so I do one of these.)
“With billions of people in the world, someone should be able to figure out a system where no one is lonely. What do you suggest? John Orteberg in his book, Everyone is Normal Until You get To Know Them, writes the following in regards to loneliness…
For Centuries, some of the smartest grown-ups who ever lived have devoted themselves to this problem. This God- designed hunger for community is why Plato wrote The Republic and Augustine wrote The City Of God. It’s why so many of our stories are about longing to reach community – from the Odyssey to Walton’s mountain, from Camelot to Mayberry, from Friends to Boyz in the hood… It’s why we attend church, join bowling leagues and go on blind dates..
It’s why the single most remembered American speech of the 20th century was a plea fro all human beings one day being able to eat together at the same table of fellowship, join hands and sing a common song. Social scientist Jean Elshtain notes that Martin Luther King Jr captured the conscience of a society because he was articulating, not just his dream, but a human dream – God’s dream.
"It is not good for the man to be alone…
NOW – ‘unfortunately’ most of us know from personal experience that there is no sting like the sting of loneliness. YES – I’m pretty confident that most of us have been there and done that when it comes to loneliness… BUT – we really don’t like to talk or think about it, all that much… BECAUSE – ‘loneliness’ said Mother Teresa, is the leprosy of modern society. And no one wants anybody to know they’re a leper.
IN – Genesis chapter 2 God’s looks at Adam and says, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him…" A - companion to DO what? TO - help him? Help him with what? WITH – many other things, BUT – most importantly to help him overcome this problem of being alone…
Do you remember your first best friend? I do - though I haven’t seen him in 40+ years. His name was Jackie Chilcoat. He was a year younger than me. And we were best friends from the time I was 4 - till we moved from our house on Orlando Ave. when I was 7. WE - did everything together; climbed trees, threw rocks, played batman and robin, king of the hill, we rode bikes, played army (sticks for swords, hands for guns) and we explored the woods near our homes for hours on end.
WHEN - Jackie & I were together it felt like the world was ours. No challenge seemed to big and there was no obstacle that we could not overcome together. Sure, we just little kids, but we felt big when we were together.
AND - through the years God has blessed me with many other friends. Socrates was right "there is no possession more valuable than a good and faithful friend." HROUGHOUT - the pages of the bible we see many great friendships; Abraham and Sarah, Moses and Aaron, Caleb and Joshua, David and Jonathan, Shareac, Meshaq and Abendego/, Peter & John, Paul & Silas, Barnabas and Mark... (and we can be certain, that their stories without their friends would have been much different).
EVEN - Jesus when he walked this earth needed friends. He had 12 close friends, the 12 apostles, whom he choose, "that they might be with him" (Mark 3:14). SURE - Jesus wanted them with him so that he could train and prepare them, BUT THERE - was also a matter of fellowship - Jesus liked being around them, He enjoyed their relationship.. Three of the disciples (Peter, James and John) formed an "inner circle" and Jesus included them in activities that the other 9 were not included in. And among these 3, John (Jesus cousin) called himself, "the disciple that Jesus loved," so apparently even Jesus had a best friend.
AND - that night in the garden, during those final minutes before his arrest Jesus wanted his friends with him. LISTEN - if Jesus needed friends, how much more do the rest of us. We all (everyone of us) need somebody to lean on… WE – need people who care about us, people with whom we can relax and be ourselves around. We all need what I call 3 O’clock in the morning friends ("what can I do are you alright" not "do you know what time it is?")… THERE – are only 2 points in your notes this morning… The Risk and The Value
The Risk
NOW - I think you would all agree that we need friends And even if you don’t - it’s still true.. It’s how we are wired up… & it’s crucial for living out God’s purpose for our lives. AND MOST – of us had many friends growing up, BUT - many times as we become adults - we become isolated and find in our lives that the number of ‘surface’ acquaintances increases, while the number of close friends decreases dramatically... I MEAN - those good friends that we can count on, talk to, share with, and cry on the shoulders of (those 3 o’clock in the morning friends, where we can go to their house at midnight, eat all of their food and fall asleep on the couch) are few and far between. AND –as a result there are a lot of lone rangers running round today... trying to do life on their own.
QUESTION – why is it that so many people today are lacking deep intimate/friendships? (even in the church) Well I can think of at least 4 reasons:
ONE - our culture and modern life doesn’t promote close friendships.
• we are a busy people with little time, who are constantly allow the urgent – to crowd out the important. UNDERSTAND – the urgent is seldom important and the important is seldom urgent.
• we are a surface and small talk society (we can talk; weather, sports, hobbies, politics, movies, but break out hives if conversations get any deeper) .
TWO - We are a fast food people… We are not use to waiting for anything, we want things fast, we want them now. Orteberg;
The requirement for true intimacy is chunks of unhurried time. If you think you can fit deep community into the cracks of an overloaded schedule – think again. Wise people do not try to microwave friendships… you can’t do community in a hurry: You can’t listen in a hurry. You can’t mourn in a hurry with those who mourn, or rejoice in a hurry with those who rejoice. Many people lack great friends for the simple reason that they have never made pursuing community a high priority. (page 46)
THIRD - Developing Friendships is risky; It’s Risky… TO - be open and honest. TO - let someone inside; TO - allow someone to close enough to you, that they see the real you and can hurt you (we don’t like to be that vulnerable) Someone has written a book with the title: “Why Am I Afraid To Show You Who I really Am?" ANSWER - because you may not like who I am -- and who I am, is all I have.
WHY - are close friends so few and far between? BECAUSE - our modern lifestyle does not promote close friendships; we are a fast food people, it’s risky and
FOURTH - because most of us have been burned in the past (and we are gun shy)… QUESTION - have you ever been burned/betrayed by someone who you thought was a friend? How did it make you feel? It’s devastating, isn’t it? (Braveheart scene, Robert the Bruce). The same thing happened to David, Listen to how he described it in Psalm 55…
Oh, how I wish I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!
I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. How quickly I would escape--far away from this wild storm of hatred… It is not an enemy who taunts me--I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me— I could have hidden from them. Instead, it is you--my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. Ps 55:6-8. 12-14
The Value
We need friends, we need close friends. BUT AGAIN - the risk is big, the price is high…. AND – because of that many people even those in the church decide that despite the need; it is not worth it. And they therefore choose to be like John Wayne and ride the trails of life alone. It’s not really what they want - it’s just safer. They settle for a life in the lowlands rather than risk the climb up the mountain of intimate friendship...
ON MONDAY MORNING – this week about 6:30 am I was getting ready for work and I was watching Fox’s & Friends. THEY - had a segment on about the new BMW X6… It’s a pretty awesome car, with a base price of only $63,000. NOW - I’m not a car guy at all… (I mean most of you saw what I driving when I got here. I beautiful peeling paint, blue, 1994 Nissan with 206,000 miles on it). BUT – I went to BMW’s website. And read about the X6. It had page after page taking about this car, listing not the price, but of all it’s standard features… (it has a 24 value, direct injection, twin turbo, 400 hp – 4.4 liter V8 engine. (put in more standard features here…)
AGAIN - it was hard to find the price listed anywhere. Why do you think that was? BECAUSE – they want you to be sold on all the car’s standard features, before the sticker price cause a mild cardiac arrest.
LISTEN - I know that developing strong friendships is risky business and that it takes time and effort - but I am equally convinced of the fact that I need close friends... AND - because of their great value -- they are worth the risk.....
ONE – of the ways we promote relationships at SE is through small groups. RIGHT NOW – there are about 70 people getting together in homes….
IT – is so cool to see relationships start to form. TO SEE – community begin to become reality…
BUT - if you not yet convinced let me describe for you some of the standard features that come with a close friendship.
A FRIEND KNOWS WHO YOU ARE
AND LISTEN – that really is a big deal because most of us spend our entire lives trying to hide who we really are… we put up walls, clothes ourselves with images and personalities we think that people will like… A small boy defined a friend as, "Someone who knows all about you and likes you just the same..." Or as John Orteberg says, accepts you ‘as is’
QUESTION - isn’t great when someone knows the real you - isn’t it refreshing when you can let your hair down - be yourself and not be afraid. Isn’t it relaxing when you can take off your mask, peal off those layers – AND SAY - "here I am warts and all" and still know that you are accepted.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Rm 15:7
A FRIEND LOVES YOU
"A friend loves at all times..." Pr 17:17
LISTEN - a friend loves you when everything is going well and when it appears that things will never go well again. A friend loves you when things are easy and when things are hard; when things are convenient and when things are not. A friend loves you and is willing to give him or herself up for you. Jesus said in Jn 15:13; "Greater love has no one than this than that he lay down his life for his friends..."
NOW - the word translated life in that verse is an interesting word, the Greeks had two words for life "bios" (physical life - biology) and "zoe" (your spiritual, life your soul, yourself). Which one do you think Jesus uses in John 15:13? "zoe"
UNDERSTAND - what Jesus is teaching here is that a friend is not simply someone who will jump in front of a bullet to save you or who will run into a burning building to pull you out.. LISTEN - a friend so much more – a fiend is someone who will put your needs above there own; someone who will give up their; time, energy & convenience to help you. I like to call this the ’24 Principle.’ (each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others).
TRUE - friendship & love go hand in hand...therefore
"A friend is patient, a friend is kind, a friend does not envy, a friend does not boast, a friend is not proud. A friend is not rude. A friend is not self-seeking, a friend is not easily angered, a friend keeps no record of wrongs. A friend does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth. A friend always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres...."
A 3RD STANDARD FEATURE OF A FRIEND
A FRIEND BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN YOU
NOW - we all know that bad company - that wrong friendships can get us into all kinds of trouble. 1 Cor 15:33 from the CEV Bible "Don’t fool yourself. Bad friends will destroy you..." That’s true but it is also true that good friends will make you better, they will bring out the best in you.
I heard that Ben Franklin formed a support group of very brilliant people and called it "My most ingenious friends" group. That group got together and they would write papers and discuss them, discuss questions, help each other in their careers & goals., They met every Friday night for 40 years. Franklin was accomplishing things in his 80’s and 90’s. Why? He had a support group that kept him growing.
Thomas Edison had a support group called "My mastermind alliance". He put people with a similar life mission together and that group in a six year period came up with over 300 patented inventions. They were averaging one minor invention every 6 weeks, and one major invention every 6 months.
Henry Ford said, "my best friend is the one who brings out the best in me...."
God says; "As iron sharpens iron so does one man sharpen another..." - Pr 27:17
Have you ever or do you now have; a friend that brought out the best in you? Made you better? Got you to reach higher? To go further. Barnabas (we read about him in the book of Acts) was that kind of friend to John Mark. AND - because of his friend Barnabas, John Mark was transformed from a quitter into a gospel warrior – wrote a book of the bible)
A FRIEND HELPS YOU WHEN YOU ARE NEED
An English publication offered a prize for the best definition of a friend, and among the thousands of answers received were the following;
. one who multiples joys and halves grief’s
. one who understand our silence
. a watch that beats true for all time and never runs down.
But here is the definition that won the prize: ‘a friend the one who walks in when the whole world has walked out.’
UNDERSTAND - a friend is there to pick you up when you have fallen - he is there for you; when the chips are down, the road is steep and the seas are rocky... In my Christian – I have experienced those kinds of times – AND – I praise God that nearly every time I had someone to pick me up…
He wanted to get to Jesus (we read his story in Mark 2). But he faced some problems; he couldn’t walk, it was crowded and Jesus was inside of a house. what was he going to do?
UNDERSTAND - his cause would have been hopeless were it not for four good friends who helped him, when these men realized that Jesus was in town healing the sick they just knew they had to get their friend to him. But the crowd was so great they could not get inside.
SO - did they turn around and go home? No, they climbed onto the roof and dug through it and then they lowered their friend onto the floor right in front of Jesus. AND - that paralyzed man walked home that day because he had friends who helped him.
Orteberg;
It is a very vulnerable thing to have someone carry your mat. When somebody’s carrying your mat, they see you in your weakness. They might hurt you if they drop you.
There is a gift between these friends: trusting vulnerability and dependable faithfulness. This mat, which according to society should have created a great gulf between him and them, Instead became an opportunity for servant hood and acceptance. This group becomes the Fellowship of the Mat. Wherever human being lobe and accept and serve each other in the face of weakness and need, there is the fellowship of the mat.
Here is the truth about us: Everybody has a mat. Let the mat stand as a picture of human brokenness and imperfection. It is what is ‘not normal;’ about me. It is the little ‘as is’ tag that I most desire to hide. BUT it is only when we allow others to see our mat, when we give and receive help with each other, that healing becomes possible. Every effective AA meeting is a Fellowship of the Mat. So are healthy family and churches. Because everyone has a mat.
Maybe your mat is’
A temper you can’t seem to control
Fear
Inability to trust, or the need to be in control, or the inability to speak the language of the heart. Maybe your mat involves a terrible secret of some awful thing you did that you still feel guilty about. Maybe it is a crushing sense of failure, or inadequacy, or plainness, or loneliness.
Sometimes people spend there whole lives doing ‘mat management.’ They pretend they don’t have a mat. They appear to be so healthy and strong that the people around them assume they could walk anywhere they want to… Their primary goal is to hide their brokenness from others’ eyes.
So let me ask you a personal question: Who carries your mat for you sometimes.? Who do you show your weakness and struggles to? Who do you ask to pray for you? Who do you let see your brokenness?
If you want a deep friendship, you can’t always be the strong one. You will sometimes have to let somebody else carry your mat.
That is what happens in the bible story. This group of people become friends. It requires formidable character and internationality. Perhaps – because one man’s vulnerability is so visible, they all become more honest about their mats. Against all odds, they form a little community: The fellowship of the mat…
A FRIEND: KNOWS YOU - LOVES YOU - BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN YOU
- HELPS YOU
For these next 3 standard features of a friend we are going to look at the relationship of the 2 most famous fiends in the O.T. David & Jonathan.
FROM - every angle it would seem that Jonathan and David would be natural rivals. Jonathan was the oldest son of King Saul: the crown prince, the heir to the throne of Israel. However, David, a shepherd boy, had been anointed by the prophet Samuel to become the next king instead of Jonathan. NOW - you would think that they would despise one another, become enemies, that Jonathan would see David as an obvious threat to his future. But instead Jonathan became David’s most loyal friend. AND – in this friendship we see first of all that;
A Friend Envisions Who You Can Be
After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond of love between them, and they became the best of friends. 2From that day on Saul kept David with him at the palace and wouldn’t let him return home. 3And Jonathan made a special vow to be David’s friend, 4and he sealed the pact by giving him his robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt.
QUESTION – why does Jonathan do this? (Seems kind of strange, doesn’t it?).. I MEAN – when you make a friend, you don’t say, "Hey here’s my shirt, my shorts, my belt and my shoes . I want you to have this and wear it." SO – what’s going on here?
WELL – (people who are a whole lot smarter than me say), that this was not a casual thing. Most likely what is going on here is that Jonathan recognizes that God has called David to be king. And he wants David to NOT ONLY know that he sees this… BUT – that he supports it, that he’s behind it…
“David, when I look at you, I see a king, God’s anointed. And I want you to know that not only does that not pain me, I celebrate that. And David, my friend, I want you always to remember who God made you to be so every time you wear this robe. And every time you hold this sword, I want you to remember what I see in you, remember what God sees in you. Don’t settle for anything less."
FRIENDS DON’T – let friends settle for a life less then they are!
A FRIEND WILL DEFEND YOU
Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his close friendship with David, 2told him what his father was planning. "Tomorrow morning," he warned him, "you must find a hiding place out in the fields. 3I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out." 4The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. "Please don’t sin against David," Jonathan pleaded. "He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could.
‘Dad – why are you trying to kill David? Why are you attacking him? Have you forgotten all the good he has done for you. When you were over come with evil spirits who played the harp for you? When the giant Goliath taunted your entire army who stepped into the valley?’
Jonathan stood up for his friend…
Proverbs 17:17 reads, "A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity..." In the midst of adversity (when the king and public opinion was going against David) , Jonathan was loyal to David. Even though it put himself at risk, he defended his friend.
LISTEN - when others attack you, criticize you, put you down - either to your face or behind your back - a friend will defend you, regardless of the risk.
A Friend Knows How To Keep A Secret
Though Jonathan knew the whereabouts of David, he refused to tell his jealous father Saul where he was. I friend can keep a secret, will hold a confidence.
Four Christian men decided they would start an accountability group. They knew they needed friendship and they needed to be accountable to one another. In their first meeting they said, "Let’s share some of our weaknesses. the Bible says we should confess our faults to one another."
One man said, "I have to be honest, I have been embezzling money from company." After a long pause another said, "I’m ashamed to admit it but I have not always been faithful to my wife." A third said, "Well, while we’re dumping the facts. I’ve had a secret drinking problem for years."
The 4th stood up and said, "gentlemen. I have battled a problem all of my life. My problem is gossip - and I can’t wait to get out of this meeting!"
Some people think a secret is something you tell only one person at a time! Others feel there is a time limit for keeping a secret. But Proverbs 16:28 says, "a perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends..."
A friend is someone who knows enough to ruin you, but never will.
A FRIEND HAS THE COURAGE TO CONFRONT YOU WITH THE TRUTH
Friends tell one another the truth. A friend is someone who attacks you from the front. Proverbs 27:5,6 reads, "Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds of a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."
Peter and Paul were friends and in Galatians chapter 2 Paul tells us of a time when Peter had a spiritual blind spot and - and how he confronted Peter "to his face."
Occasionally friends must tell us the truth about our spiritual blind spots even when it hurts. If you saw a friend getting ready to light a match in the presence of gasoline - you would not be a faithful friend unless you tried to stop him, even if you had to be abrupt.
In like manner if you have a friend who has a drinking problem, or is cheating on his wife, or is drifting away from church, you are not a "true" friend, if you let it happen because you don’t want to offend him or endanger the relationship - it would be less than loving for you to let "a friend" destroy his life without saying as word.
"Wounds of a friend can be trusted..." A friend has the courage to confront us with the truth when it is for our own good.
A FRIEND STANDS BY YOU EVEN WHEN THINGS HEAT UP
Many times things in our life are going to heat up. Many times were are forced to face a fiery trial - physical, relational, emotional, financial.
And it is much easier to face the fire when we are standing with a friend. Just ask Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (their story is in Daniel chapter 3). Because of their faith and their refusal to bow to the idol King Nebuchadnezzar set up in the desert they were literally thrown into a fiery furnace.
The flames were hot, the heat was great - their story is true; AND – it was their faith and their friendship is that enabled them to overcome the furnace - their cord of 3 strands was not easily broken..
LISTEN - when life heats up (and it will/has/is) - a friend is there for you... And let me tell you from experience a friend standing next to you makes it so much easier to withstand the heat…
Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.
– Pr 18:24 (Msg)
Just one more;
A FRIEND FORGIVES YOU…
LISTEN – friends need lots of this because… No matter how awesome a fiend is they are going to mess up a time or two. AND – if a friend come sot you and is open and honest about their wrong…(this is important) – a friend forgives… NOW – sometimes it may take a little time to rebuild trust but a friend forgives…
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Col 3:13
YES – the risk is high… BUT – the value, the standard features… Man – they are smoking!
UNDERSTAND - there is no spiritual drive-thru window out there someplace where you can just roll up in your car and say, "I’ll take one spiritual friend…. AND - super-size him, please."
AND - There is no place on the Web labeled spiritual friendship.com with next day delivery at the front door, because if there was, we would all be surfing for it. There is an element of mystery, isn’t there, wherever two people become friends like Jonathan and David did.
Friendship, when it happens, is a gift, and you can’t just make it happen. It’s a little like going to sleep. Have you ever tried really, really hard to go to sleep? Sleep when it comes, is a gift… WELL - friendship is like that. You can’t make it happen. There’s an element of mystery to it. But there are some things you can do to open yourself up to it.
#1; just start searching. Some of you need to begin by praying and telling God about your desire, "God, lead me to the person that I be a friend to, that I can connect soul-soul to.”
#2; put yourself in a place where you will meet likely candidates for spiritual friendship (church, small groups…)
#3; test the water for awhile… to see if that connection is going to be there… (AND - it won’t always be there, and that’s okay).. BECAUSE - how many of these relationships, these friendships, can you expect to have anyway?
#4; Become the kind of friend who has all the standard features that a person created in the image of God comes with.
