As men, we want to experience a life with purpose, but we live in a world that questions who we are and what we do at every turn. Thankfully, as Christ followers, we can rest in the fact that our heavenly Father determines our true value. And He reminds us that we have worth because we are made in God’s image.
Regardless of what the world might tell us, the fact that we are made in the image of God is a game-changer. It gives hope for this life and the next, and it fuels the mission we are called to fulfill as believers.
To understand your true purpose as a man, a dad, a husband, and a friend, you have to understand what it means to be made in the image of God.
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“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Genesis 1:26
Since the Beginning, We are Made in God’s Image
You probably know that the Bible begins with God and His creation. The very first chapter of Genesis reminds us that He is where it all started, and His spoken word brought everything into being. And, as He looked on His initial creation, He found it “good.”
But when the Lord was ready to create humanity, He changed things up a little. Instead of simply speaking a word, He formed Adam from the dirt of the ground. Later, He shaped Eve out of Adam’s rib. But it wasn’t just His method of creation that was different. He also did something for humans that He didn’t do for anything else.
He created humanity “in our image, according to our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Our initial ancestors were created in the image of God, what theologians call the imago dei. And that gives the human race a worth and a value that exceeds anything else.
Centuries later, David, the shepherd-king of Israel, marveled at Gods sacred act of making people in His image: “You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet” (Psalm 8:5-6). While we are not divine (we are “less than God”), we are created in His image, which gives us inherent honor and dignity.
This is important for guys like us to remember in a culture that puts people on pedestals for the pleasure of knocking them down. Our worth—our meaning in life—is not determined by anything we accomplish. Ultimately, we are valuable because we are made in God’s image.
There is No Perfection on Earth
With highest regards to Paul Harvey, I’m guessing you know “the rest of the story.” While Genesis 1–2 describes an incredible paradise, it all collapses in chapter 3. Sin entered the picture. Adam and Eve fell and lost the blessings of Eden.
But here’s something important to know: They never lost the image of God. Yes, sin created separation, and it did distort the image of God. I like to compare it to looking at a carnival mirror instead of a genuine mirror. The image is still there, but sin has warped the reflection.
That’s why in Genesis 3:15, God made an incredible promise. As if killing animals to create clothes for His broken creatures was not enough, He assured them that a Savior was coming. One day, the curse of sin would be broken and the distortion of God’s image would begin to come back into focus.
That Savior—the Messiah—was Jesus. When individuals acknowledge their sinfulness and embrace the sacrifice He made for our sins on the cross, something changes. People made in the image of God begin to actually look and act more like Him (Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
When Jesus comes back, the reflection will be healed completely. Until then, we progressively become more like Jesus—which means we progressively learn to reflect the image of God more accurately.
What Being Made in God’s Image Looks Like
For centuries, people have asked, “What in my life reflects the fact that I’m made in God’s image?” That’s a fair question. And the honest answer is, nobody really knows for sure. That’s because the Bible simply states that we are made in His image without providing details on the specifics.
A lot of theologians try to answer the question of the imago dei by emphasizing the attributes of God. As you might expect, God possesses some qualities that we could never imitate or share—things like being all-powerful, all-knowing, and self-existent. Those are “incommunicable” attributes, and we’ll never experience them in our own lives.
In contrast, God also has “communicable” attributes that His image bearers can share or imitate. This would include things like creativity, wisdom, truthfulness, love, holiness, justice, patience, and faithfulness. Because sin has marred His image in us, we will never be able to live out these attributes perfectly the way He does. But, because we are made in God’s image, we can reflect His character to the world.
Again, this is a speculative position because Scripture is silent on the specifics of being made in God’s image. But there are a couple of practical implications that we can embrace as we think about reflecting His image through our lives.
All humans have inherent value as God’s image bearers.
We have worth, dignity, and value simply because we carry God’s image—imperfect as it may be. The fact that God created us in His image reflects how much He treasures us and longs to have a relationship with us. It’s one important reason He sent His only Son to die for our sins.
We must respect the sanctity of all human life.
Since every person is made in the image of God—even those who reject God—Christ followers have an obligation to recognize and protect human life from the womb to the grave. We must value the dignity of each person—the unborn, the elderly, the outcasts, the widows, the orphans, the disabled, and so many more—regardless of their circumstances in life.
Our Challenge
I have a friend who is fond of saying, “Life with Jesus is better than life without Him.” He’s correct, of course; and He’s also hitting on an important fact about being made in God’s image. As His image bearers, our greatest responsibility is to show the world what He looks like. He calls us to point people to Him, so they can accept Him and begin the process of restoring the imago dei in their lives.
Jesus did this perfectly during His time on earth. Seeing Jesus work and hearing Jesus speak was the same as seeing and hearing the Father (John 14:9). And while we can never reach that standard, we can reflect His image to a world that needs to know Him. For us, that starts in our homes. Our wives and our kids should be our first priority in this regard.
We can show them that life is better with Him when we live out God’s image in a meaningful way each day. In fact, from His perspective, that’s what being a man is all about.
Are you ready to be the dad God called you to be? Take the Godly Father Assessment to see how you’re doing and where you can improve as a father!
