Imago Dei

Today I asked my wife, “What does it mean to be created in the image of God?”

She looked at me sweetly and said. “God is a God of order…thus when I am organized…I reflect his image…how would you feel about reflecting his image by putting away your laundry?” 

I wish I hadn’t asked.  

As I hung up my shirts I pondered the realities of how my wife and I are so different.  There are the obvious things between male and female…but there are less obvious things too like…she has hair with no beard and I have a beard with no hair.  My wife is a very orderly person and I tend to be more of a hurricane.  We can see the creative hand of God in our children too…how He has sown the seeds of our personalities into our offspring. 

Let’s consider my oldest daughter for example: 

My wife loves to study.  She worked hard in high school to maintain a very high GPA, and in college I could always find her sitting at a clean library table with her papers, folders and books spread out neatly in front of her.  “Let’s go for a walk so I can hold your hand and ask to kiss you…only to have you say yes to the hand holding and no to the kiss.” Sarah kept her honorable GPA, all throughout her college career…despite my attempts at distraction.   

When I studied…my work space and floor surrounding my text books would be strewn with papers and littered with empty Coca Cola cans.  Loose leaf paper would make excellent bed sheets and covers.

My oldest daughter is a combination of both.  She studies like her mom…but her space looks like mine.  When she was a little girl we called her “Hurricane Hannah”…because of the path of mess and destruction that she would leave behind her wherever she went.  When she played…she would play with EVERYTHING she could get her hands on!

My wife also mentioned that the “Image of God” means that He is a creator…and she mentioned that I like to create…so that is being the “Image of God,” too. 

I think what she said is true…but I have come to believe that it is secondary.  God is a God of order.  God is a creator.  God is a relational god.  He is a loving God.  All of these are true…and all have been placed in us as image bearers of God.  But…I have a problem.  What happens…when someone is unable to be organized…unable to create…unable to relate…unable to love?  Are we then, no longer, image bearers of God?

There must be something more!

I have come to believe…that when God says that we have been made in the image of God…we have been stamped with something special.  When we have been created as an image bearer of God…simply put…our very existence…the fact that we breathe…the fact that our hearts beat…that we ARE objects of His love…we carry His image. 

It is not about “what” we do.  It is not even so much “who we are.” It is about “what we have been created to BE.” An Image Bearer of God.

If you never left the sofa…If you binge watch Little House on the Prairie for the rest of your life…over and over again.  You are STILL a bearer of His image. 

The next time you struggle with your self-worth, consider…you are an image bearer of God.  The next time you are angry with the sales gal at McDonald's who cannot seem to understand what you are trying to order…consider…she is an image bearer. 

May you come to see that you bear the image of God.  What would the world be like…if we all understood and lived with the understanding that we are image bearers of God Almighty?