The Image Bearers

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness….” Genesis 2:26

We are the image bearers. God has placed inside of every person a soul filled with creativity, worship, and talent. It is the truth. It is the truth for all of us. Every…Single…Person.

This truth gives meaning to every life.

This truth gives value to every life.

This truth gives purpose to every life.

The problem is that we don’t bear the image of God perfectly. We sin. We mess up. We say and do things that we regret. This isn’t just true for them. This is true for us. All of us. Every…Single…Person

We can imagine what life would be like if we bore the image of God perfectly. Perfect love. Perfect righteousness, holiness, and decision making. However, it does require some imagination. These imperfections can make relationships difficult. They create tension. Conflict. Hardship.

Because of this reality, followers of Jesus can lead the way in some important qualities. Among them…

Self Reflection: It is easier to focus on their imperfect image bearing tendencies than it is to focus on ours. The problem is that we can’t change them. With God’s help we can change our own behavior and tendencies. This is going to require us to engage in more self reflection and less reflection of others. This is hard. It can be painful. But it is so worth it.

Patience: On multiple occasions we are told in the Bible that God is patient with us. He understands that we are in process, becoming more aware of our sin and our need for Jesus. My wish for our culture, and specifically Christianity, is that we would be more patient with each other. We would understand that this is a journey we are on, a process, a long and winding road. Where we are now is not where we will be in 5 years. With God’s we will move forward into a better image bearing future. In other words, we will look more like Jesus.

Grace: While conflict and disagreement can pull us apart, grace keeps us together. It is so important that Christians model what it looks like live out grace. In political disagreements. In social disagreements. In relationship disagreements. Even when we are sinned against. We are loving one another, showing grace, and demonstrating kindness. Perhaps the best way we demonstrate the image of God is through grace.