I
have a photo of my mom when she was fifteen. It looks remarkably like
my senior portrait. (Only she was gorgeous in that way only 40's
women can be. And I had Farrah hair. Because it was cool.) I have a photo of our youngest daughter entering first
grade. It looks identical to my own school photo, down to the
handmade dress. Genetics rule—we end up like our parents in more
ways than one.
Some
find that distressing. Others have, at least, come to terms with the
reality.
Last
week on the blog we started talking about rediscovering our identity in 2015. What aspects of it have been hacked, like our debit cards at
Target, and what can we do about it?
Image of God -- Say What?
But before we can figure out how to re-find our identity, we have to know what we're looking for. If we have no real clue, how will we know if we ever stumble upon it? It's like going to the store when you're hungry but you don't have a menu plan. Everything and nothing looks good. You load up the cart with a bunch of stuff, take it home, and then find out none of it actually goes together in a meal. It's a patched together mess, and you're still hungry. What are we looking for?
Creation
gives us the glorious facts—we are created in the image of God.
Both male and female. No distinctions or hierarchies among humans in
the perfect world. If you don't believe me, check out the story yourself.
But
it's easy to say we're the image of God. To have some vague idea of
what that is and that maybe it's a good thing. Yet all the time, I
suspect we have an idea like that of my photos—we kind of look like
God, whatever that is. We're his kids, so we resemble
him in some cosmic way we don't really understand and therefore don't
consider important on a daily basis.
But
what if we're wrong?
What
if, in fact, it's the most important part of our daily life? And
we're missing it?
To
be created in the image of God means a bunch of things, and none of
them has to do with looks. Which is good because, honestly, how could
God look like all the colors, sizes, shapes, and two genders of
people? I mean, unless he's like Professor McGonagall and shape
shifts whenever he feels like it. Which could be cool, but we don't
exactly have a basis in the Bible for that idea.
(Well,
yes, we do, He can appear however he needs to. But that's not quite
the same as just deciding, “Today I think I'll be an armadillo.
Tomorrow, maybe I'll want to look like Queen Latifah. Depends on how
the cosmic mood swings.”)
OK,
we are officially off topic.
 |
| Yes, sir, that's my baby. And me. |
Taking on God's Character
So,
let's start with one thing it means. Being made in the image of God
means we take on characteristics of God. Just like my oldest daughter
can read people and have instant empathy—she gets that trait from
me.
Middle
child likes to surprise people she loves with grand gestures, just as
I do. Like the times I redecorated my mom's entire bathroom and
kitchen as gifts. (Thinking back, I have to wonder if she wanted them
redecorated or if she liked my choices. But at the time, I wanted to
surprise her because to me, it meant an act of love. Same with middle
child.)
Child
#3 has her father's diligence and responsibility. Good thing she got
it from somewhere.
A
child grows to be more and more like her parents in attitudes and
behavior. She may hate it, but one day she hears that sentence come
out of her mouth and she knows . . . oh my gosh, that was my mother.
Sorry—true story.
Regardless
of what we hear about peer pressure and media influence, parents are
still the number one arbiter of what kids become. Their values become
their children's values. Their reactions to life's circumstances
become their children's model. From the time of birth, kids are
becoming their parents. Obviously, there are differences. They are
not robots. But stick with the analogy for a bit.
From
the moment we are created, we should be growing to resemble God more
and more. Not physically, but in values and behaviors. In the way we
react to hardship or situations that would bring out the road rage
in us. Our values should be becoming more and more identical to his.
Love and holiness, grace and truth above all. That's the plan. That's
part of what it means to be made in his image. If that was put inside
us, it should be coming out.
When
we mess up and interrupt that process, we have a Savior who promises
to remake us so we can begin again. (“If anyone is in Christ, he or
she is a new creation.”)
We
are a people called to mirror his character into a crazy world.
Sometimes,
that means taking a hard look in our own mirror and asking—hey, is
this really a good reflection?
- Does this life, this daily thing I do here, the decisions I make, reflect meaning? Or are they reflex, plans auto-accepted because they are comfortable and “normal”?
- Does this person I see reflect a belief that I am here for a reason? Or do I more often live day to day, waiting for life to happen, accepting myself as a victim of circumstances, uncommitted to responsibility of being an heir to the King?
- Do my reactions reflect who God says he is? Or am I more likely to react like a person who has no experience at all of the mercy of Christ when angry, frustrated, confused, or scared?
- Does my life reflect that God created everything to work with order and purpose? Or is the chaos in my own existence showing something entirely different?
- Does it look like God orders my life? Or do I allow my schedule, other people, or the tyranny of the urgent to be the boss of my days?
- Does this face, and heart, offer love before all else? Or is it too often something I expect others to earn?
- If I don't like the reflection, what needs to change?
God,
how will I, your image, reflect it better in 2015?
Next
week--what else does that image in us mean? It means not only a new
character but a new job. An adventure, hobbit lovers everywhere! Stay
tuned.
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