Imago Dei (The Image of God)
“So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Gen. 1:27
It’s 2020 now, and everyone is off to begin something new, resolutions or not. Every year change happens, even if we vow to ourselves, “This year I am not making any resolutions!” Change is the one thing in life that is certain.
But there is one thing in life that never changes—God. In the person of Jesus Christ, Hebrews 13:8 it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” For the believer, this is our hope, our anchor in a world that is full of crashing waves and turbulent waters.
Here’s the hope: we are created in the image of God. This means we’re spiritual beings first; we are children of God. Our identity is in this fact—remind yourself of this truth regularly. This will help you to love yourself, and in turn, love others well. You’ll begin to see others in the same way, as designed in the “Imago Dei.”
Remember to especially act lovingly towards those who don’t believe in God, so those who don’t believe might develop an understanding of God’s love for them. Prayerfully ask God to reveal Himself to those who have yet to embrace their “Imago Dei,” and maybe someday they will know their true identity.
There will always be those who reject their God-given identity because they don’t want His rule or perhaps cannot see God because they’ve become too hardened, too skeptical, too distrusting. Nonetheless, Jesus died for all people—remember this.
C.S. Lewis once wrote, “There are no ordinary people. You’ve never talked to a mere mortal.”[i]This attitude should change how we view our neighbors, no matter what their worldview or background happens to be.
We’re even to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44). That is hard to do at times, but we must remember that there are no ordinary people.There are only people created in the Imago Dei. Part of being created in the image of God is that we are given free will. This allows people to say no to God. But for those who say yes, however, we get the honor of reflecting the image of God!
Think Divinely: You are created in God’s image!
This gives all people value and dignity,
making all life sacred because of the
Imago Dei.
[i]CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory, page # publisher info needed
