Day 24: Created in God's Image

Genesis 1:26-27 states that human beings were created in the image of God. An image is a likeness that closely resembles and represents another. Human beings have the unique distinction in all of creation of having been made to be like God, to share some of His characteristics. This gives men and women value that is not shared by any other living creature. A proper understanding of this truth affects how we see ourselves.

Psychologists have identified three basic needs that all humans have: security (the need for safety), significance (the need for meaning), and belonging (the need for community). Understanding that we are made in God's image meets these needs at a core level. We are secure because we have value as an image-bearer, despite other’s opinions or our own failures. It is not something we have to earn. We have significance because we represent the God of the universe. Helping others see what God is like gives us meaning that having a job or not having a job, having a significant other or not having one, and whether we are beautiful or not so much cannot alter. We belong to God as His image-bearer and we are connected to the whole of humanity as fellow image-bearers. We belong. 

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Knowing that we are secure, have meaning, and that we belong, gives confidence and helps us to overcome many of the doubts and insecurities common to the human experience. This confidence is particularly important for those who struggle with poor self-image. Understanding that we are made in God’s image infuses a person with value that does not depend at all on our circumstances, relationships, or accomplishments. Instead our value is God-give and inherent within us. Something that cannot be taken away.

"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal."

C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory and Other Essays

For a deeper understanding of this theological concept, see "Man - Made in the Image of God."