“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” – Gen 1:27.
Unlike the surrounding cultures of the time, whose creation myths viewed human beings as disposable servants of the gods, Genesis gives a drastically different picture. Genesis testifies that human beings have inherent worth, value, and dignity because we are created in God’s image. Every creature owes its existence to God, but only human beings are made in His image. As image bearers our purpose is to reflect something other than ourselves. Like a mirror, we are designed to draw attention and display the one who we are focused on. Even if we reject our calling to mirror God, our inherent reflectivity remains. When we allow something else to capture our hearts – when an idol becomes the object of our affections – we will reflect that false god instead. Unfortunately, we are all broken mirrors who have been cracked by sin, evil, and rebellion. We warp the image of God by reflecting it imperfectly and often reflecting the idols of our hearts.
Understanding my intrinsic brokenness is never a fun task. Corrie and I have been in ministry for over 8 years, we have discipled young people, taught the Bible, and led mission teams around the world – but have always done so imperfectly. My Christian walk has been a humbling one. As someone who is deeply competitive, my inability to perfectly display the image in which I was created can become a source of frustration. Years of theological training cannot wipe out human inclination towards rebellion and sin. As I approach the end of seminary, I have been reminded of a truth I learned long ago – that God is patient and kind with his cracked mirrors. Because of his gracious character, he is faithful to mend cracks, and polish dull mirrors. Our inability to fix ourselves strikes against human pride and the “pull yourself up by your bootstrap” mentality. Our sanctification process is not self-made but comes from the power of the Spirit – a source outside of ourselves. We live in a time where we are tempted to present false versions of ourselves through social media, but deep down we know the blemishes and cracks remain.
As believers, let us walk in a different spirit. Let us not put up a façade of who we think we are supposed to be. Let us be quick to admit when we fail to reflect the image in which we were made. Let us build each other up – rejoicing and calling out the times when we allow the Lord to use us, and let us encourage each other in failures to not be discouraged as we are being transformed into the perfect image of the Son, in whom we will one day be the perfect mirrors we were created to be.
-GB