Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;…” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:26a-27

Adam and Eve were created in God’s image…in His likeness. I believe that since He was creating living, breathing humans, the resemblance to Himself included both His physical attributes and many of His characteristics like His love, kindness, honesty, patience, truthfulness, joy, etc. The Bible tells that God walked in “the cool of the evening” in the garden. Two humans who bore His image walked there too!

Before they sinned, Adam and Eve were wonderful reflections of God. But once sin entered the world, their natures were no longer, by default, full of love, humility, kindness, etc. When they believed Satan’s lie, the childlike trust in their Father that had once made obedience their loving response to Him had been stolen. Whispered lies, intended to twist and distort man’s thinking, added fuel to their individual internal struggles against sin. Eventually, it took its toll. Their once-peaceful countenances often displayed worry, stress, anger, pride and selfishness. Mankind now lived under the curse that sin had brought to their world. Life’s experience became less and less like the stories of the glory of Eden that had been passed from their first parents down through generations. People who were truly righteous had become the exception rather than the rule.

Thankfully, God determined to continue revealing Himself to His people through the ages. He did it through righteous men like Abraham, Moses and King David, who was a man after God’s own heart. God also spoke through His prophets (though typically no one paid attention to them, or if they did, they became annoyed and killed them!) Yes, though it may only have been a few when compared to the millions of God’s chosen people, God made sure the world had at least some sparks of light that would reflect His heart…until the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, died. What followed was 400 years of silence from God. Not one prophet. I imagine that even those who wanted to follow God felt as if they were walking in the dark. If so, maybe they held out hope for Isaiah’s prophecy to be fulfilled:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. – Isaiah 9:2 

And finally, Isaiah’s prophecy happened! When God knew His silence had been long enough, Jesus, the Light of the World, came to the sin-darkened world and showed mankind the Father! People who encountered Jesus saw what God was like. His Abba was perfect, and so was He! His power, His words, His demonstrated love, His wisdom, the peace He carried…all flowed through Jesus as He revealed His Father. Jesus was an untainted, undistorted reflection of God until His final earthly breath.

Ever since Jesus went back to Heaven, He hasn’t been physically here to reveal His Father to the world. He gave that responsibility to us:  “…In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16 

Years ago while the children in Sunday School sang,“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,” the adults sang, “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. All His wonderful passion and purity! O thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine, till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.”

I don’t know that we think much about such things anymore. We’ve grown accustomed to just taking care of ourselves…body, soul, and spirit! If it makes me feel better, it’s okay to feel it, say it or do it, whatever “it” is, and no matter who gets hurt in the process. We might think “The Good Samaritan” was one of Jesus’ better parables, but do we take time out of our day or money out of our pocket to help a stranger? Years ago people wore bracelets with the letters WWJD printed on them. They were reminders to constantly ask, “What would Jesus do?” Hopefully those bracelets nudged thousands of people to let Jesus’ light shine through them.

Jesus was called the Humble Servant! His entire life was sacrificing his own desires in order to do His Father’s business. What business was that? Telling people about God and touching life after life with His love. He sacrificed His own needs daily in order to take care of others, and He expects no less of us! (2 Cor 4:10) As we follow His example, we really can reflect the heart of our Lord, just as He did for His Father.

So, is reflecting God’s image all that important? I believe so. Jesus’ priestly prayer for us before He was arrested was that Christians’ very lives would show the world that He’d been sent by His Father.  (John 17:21)

Father, help me to live in such a way that my life shows what You are like. Forgive me when I say or do things that distort Your image. Holy Spirit, please teach me how I can be a better reflection of my Savior to those who still are walking in darkness. And Lord, bring Your church together in unity, so the world will know that You are truly God’s Son and that the Father loves them too!