I'm reading a book called The Gospel of Ruth, Loving God Enough to Break the Rules, and loved what she wrote about being an image bearer of God:
"When...anything alters a woman's life, the center of her identity doesn't disintegrate, for she in not defined or redefined by circumstances, relationships, her resume, or public opinion. God defines her. If you look up "woman" in God's dictionary, you'd find the definition he set down as he drew up plans for the very first woman. He defined the woman as follows: "Image bearer; created in God's image and likeness; called to be fruitful and multiple, to rule and subdue." It's the same kingdom definition that he gave to the man. God issued definitions for the woman and the man when both were naked and their resumes were blank. Reduce them to their most elemental selves, and they are still God's image bearers. It ascribes to them the highest value imaginable...A woman's high calling as God's image bearer renders her incapable of insignificance, no matter what has gone wrong in her life or how much she has lost..."
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| Teaching in Uganda |
I remember our last day teaching in Uganda we asked the women what they learned from our time together. We had taught on many things, and so it surprised me when a woman stood up in the back and said joyfully, "I learned that I am created in the image of God!" This was such good news to her, and I sat there thinking... I've heard this time and time again, but have I truly let it sink in to where I am overjoyed at the goodness of that truth?
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| One of the beautiful ladies in Uganda. |
So often in life we let circumstances, our job, or our relationships define us. Then when any of that changes, or is altered, we lose ourselves. Other times if we don't have those things (job, relationship, etc) we have a hard time knowing our identity, our value, our worth.
I've realized looking at my own life that for a while I let my own circumstances and failed relationships mark me in such a way that I thought I was defined by those things. I thought that my past disqualified me from anything good. I had my identity in all the wrong places. Once I realized that I was a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), that I was created in the image of God (Genesis 1-2), and that there was nothing that could separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39)... I finally found the joy and hope that I had been missing.
You see when God looks at me, he doesn't see my sin, he doesn't see my past, He sees His Son Jesus. As an image bearer I pray that I reflect him well to all those I meet, and that daily I find my identity in Him and nothing else.
I love this sentence from the book, you are "incapable of insignificance, no matter what has gone wrong". Why? Because you were created in the image of God. He created you. He loves you. He has a plan for you. Do you know Him? As you know more about God, your knowledge of your identity grows, and it's so awesome.
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| JOY. We are created in the image of God. |
For more information here are two great resources:
