So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. — Genesis 1:27
We were made in God’s image. Not just the man, the male. Not just the woman, the female. Both males and females are made in God’s image! They are each precious to God. Incredibly, this is not just true before the Fall before sin entered the world and made a mess of everything. When God made us and knew us in the womb of our birth mother (Psalm 139:13-16), he made us in his image (Genesis 9:6). Because people are precious to God because we each reflect something of the character of our Creator, each person is to be valued. None is to be denigrated, belittled, or cursed (James 3:9-12). People are precious, not only to God but also to us because, in some special way, each of us reflects the multifaceted nature and image of God.