You’re right, up to a point; we have much in common with other living creatures. We have bodies like they do; we feel pain like they do; some of them may even feel emotions in a limited way. And like them, we’ll eventually die. As God decreed to Adam, “Dust you are and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19).

But we aren’t just a higher form of animal! We are unique, and the reason is because God has put something of Himself within us. Think of it: God has stamped us with Himself! This is what the Bible means when it says we were made in the image of God (see Genesis 1:27). And He put something of Himself within us because He wanted us to know Him and have a personal relationship with Him.

In other words, we aren’t simply a body and a mind—we also have a soul or spirit, which God has given us. Unlike the animals, only we can think about where we came from, and why we are here, and where we will go when we die. Most of all, only we can experience a personal relationship with God. The Bible says, “You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor” (Hebrews 2:7).

Don’t lower yourself; don’t think less of yourself than God thinks of you. Instead, open your life to Jesus Christ, and discover the joy of knowing He is with you every day.

Find out how much God loves you.