“In the beginning God….” Genesis 1:1a (NLT)Begin at the Beginning
The beginning of a trip is always difficult. There are preparations to be made, suitcases to be packed, things that must be left behind, and you actually have to take that first step to be on your way. Our life journey leading to see our true selves is not so different: We spend time preparing, carry A LOT of baggage to bring along (most of mine has been gathered, carefully folded, and packed away by yours truly), there are definitely things we’d like to leave behind, and stepping into who we’re meant to be often proves to be a little daunting. But, if we’re going to get anywhere, step out we must.
“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NLT)
When looking in a mirror, how often do we say to ourselves, “Wow! I am the spitting image of God!” I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure that’s ever been my response as I’ve analyzed the reflection staring back at me. Why is that?
“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” Genesis 1:31a (NLT)
Did you catch that? God didn’t look at humankind and say, “I guess they’re ok.” And he didn’t even describe His creation as “good”; no, God looked upon all he’d made, including man and woman and declared them to be VERY good! Again, there are few times that I stand in front of a mirror and describe what I see as “very good” and I have a feeling I’m not alone.
So, when did we (OK, me) begin to look at ourselves and focus only on the unruly, curly hair (or freckles, weight, sagging skin…you get the idea) instead of seeing the image of God? What causes us to point out all the negative things we pick up on rather than leaning in closer to find the reflection of Christ? And why do we feel we must try harder, work longer, achieve more to make up for our perceived shortcomings when “In the beginning God…”
We can spend so much time believing we’re not enough that we forget that God IS. This is where my journey, and yours too must begin! When we travel to learn more about who God created us to be, we’ll be headed toward a destination where old thoughts and ways can be left behind, extra baggage we’ve been carrying will be unpacked, and we can confidently step into who we’re meant to be. Exploring new places (especially within ourselves) can sometimes be difficult. There may be wrong turns, detours, dead ends, and if you’re like me, we’ll ask, “Are we there yet:” (probably more than once); but from the beginning, God invited us to join Him on the open road and sent Jesus to help get us to our journey’s end:
“But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” 2 Corinthians
Yes, with the Lord we are changing! Step by step, He teaches us to trust His plan, how to lighten our load, and to leave worrying about our old selves (curly hair, wrinkles, and all) behind. From beginning to end, our journey to becoming more like Christ is leading us to a place where we’ll finally learn to look at ourselves in the mirror, see the “glorious image” He sees, and truly believe, “It is very good!”
Joining today with other writers in TWO places! You can learn more at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and https://anitaojeda.com/welcome-to-the-write-28-days-blogging-challenge/ This week’s Five Minute Friday prompt is “Life” and the prompt for Day 1 of the Write 28 Days Challenge is “Begin”. I know you’ll enjoy reading the offerings on both sites! As always, I hope you know how much I appreciate the support you give me by being here!
“When we travel to learn more about who God created us to be, we’ll be headed toward a destination where old thoughts and ways can be left behind, extra baggage we’ve been carrying will be unpacked, and we can confidently step into who we’re meant to be. ” Thanks for the exhortion to embrace what God has given us.
It’s a lesson I’m slowly learning! Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop in. It means a lot to me, Stephanie!
This was such a good read! Thank you! I don’t confess this goodness enough – “I am the spitting image of God, my Father!” Perhaps this needs to be my February declaration, what would happen if I declared that daily?
Oh Elizamae, your words warm my soul! I don’t confess it enough either. It is a lesson I am slow in learning. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we would all declare it and go into the world knowing we are reflecting His image! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop in and comment!
I approached the mirror
to see what I might see,
and it could not have been clearer
that God looked back at me.
He’ made me in His image,
but had I taken care?
Or did I saw cause the damage
that I was seeing there?
For God’s face was badly smudged;
I hadn’t kept it clean,
and though I was not being judged
I felt quite small and mean.
Though He did not wear a frown
His sad eyes said I’d let Him down.
This is how I often feel but I’m learning to look at things including myself in a new way. Thank you for your poem offering, Andrew!
So true! The reason we need sanctification, this journey of becoming more like Christ, is because of the Fall when we marred our reflection of God. It’s no longer “very good,” but with the Holy Spirit’s help, we’ll get there in Heaven one day. Until we reach that final destination, we’re to listen to His leading today.
Amen, Lila. Thank you for taking your time to stop in! I appreciate it!