Made in His Image

Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and 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.

I once saw a portrait that impressed me with its lifelike quality. The artist had captured every eyelash, pore, and freckle of the subject. A woman next to me exclaimed, “It's an amazing likeness!” Indeed, after viewing the portrait, one could easily pick its subject out of a crowd."

Scripture says humans are created in the likeness of God. So if I am the likeness of the divine, should I conclude that God is a pudgy aging man with a receding hairline who needs glasses?

I think most of us recognize that is not what the inspired author of Genesis meant. It’s worth asking, then: how is it that humans are made in the image of God? I think the Scripture shows us two clues in that same passage: “dominion” and “create.”

First, let’s consider “dominion.” When I was a child, I thought becoming an adult would be grand, that I would finally be in charge. Only after I became an adult did I realize that being in charge of something didn’t mean privilege; it meant responsibility. Plenty of kings and rulers have certainly thought of dominion as a place of privilege, of receiving and being served, but the good ones have always understood that leadership means caring for those over whom they had dominion. The idea of the leader, the king, the ruler as shepherd runs strong throughout Judeo-Christian thinking.

Second, let’s consider “create.” God’s nature is to create and nurture growth. He has imbued humans with that same urge. It gives me pleasure as a writer to bring ideas to life. We all work in different media, but humans have a natural urge to create, to foster growth in ourselves and others. This creative impulse helps us understand God's pleasure in His creation.

We reflect our Creator most clearly when we creatively care for His creation, nurturing and tending it with love and responsibility, rather than demanding it serve us. In doing so, we truly embody the image of God.

Let’s pray:

Father, thank you for the love you exercised when you created us. Thank you for continuing to love us and care for us. Guide us, in turn, in caring for your creation and for each other. Help us to reflect you so that when others see us, they see you. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.