Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV
DEAR Child Created in the Image of God,
Isn’t that amazing? You were created in God’s image. But what does that even mean—“created in God’s image”? When I go by a mirror, I often see a quick semblance of my dad. No matter how many push-ups or sit-ups I do to shape my body and identity, I still see Dad. But being created in God’s image does not mean our physical appearance.
The Hebrew word for “image” means essential nature, character, and essence. A good definition of “essence” is “the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing; the inward nature, true substance, or constitution of anything.” Image and essence should work cooperatively together; they should communicate and coordinate with one another; they should reflect one another. But that’s not always the case. This is one of the challenges we face as representatives of Christ. Our message is confusing to the world because we don’t look like who we represent. In other words, our image does not match our essence. | 16 Hours in Heaven: Available on Amazon |
Here’s an example: have you ever bought something that was advertised as one thing but was different when you got it home and opened the box? How disappointing it is when the image on the outside is nothing like the product. An image should wrap or cover the essence, and it should accurately describe the content of what’s to come. There should be no contradictions between the two.
It is the same with us. If we are truly created in the image of God, then we need to reflect that every day. We should be God-like in character, mindset, and behavior. We should embody the essence of God, His Spirit. That’s what separates us from all of God’s other creatures. We have understanding, a will, the ability to choose, speak, and express. We have been given power over everything. Why? Because we were created to be like God. “Ye are of God, my little children, and have over come them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4 ASV). God is in us!
As believers, children of the Most High God, we have been blessed with the Spirit of Christ residing within us all. We are now responsible, no matter the circumstances, to grow in our faith and become ever more like Christ, both internally and externally.
In His image,
Archbishop Wiggins
Prayer
Lord, we thank You for this day; this is the day that You have made, and we are so excited to be a part of it. Thank You for allowing Your word to come forth as a reminder of our presentation, that people will see You in our lives; they will see the semblance, the likeness, our character as Yours. They will even see our mindset as Yours. Thank You, God, for keeping us and leading us, and we pray for Your divine favor upon us through out this day as we continue to meditate on Your Scriptures and draw near to You. We know from Your word that You will draw near to us. We love You and bless You; in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Shalom and Amen. To buy the book, click here.
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