July 25, 2010
What is Image Bearing?
12:00 AM | 
Posted by
E Living
"Man reflected God. Wow! Let’s discuss what this means for man as he bears the Image of God. Bearing His Image means more than just being like Jesus in form or character. It means that each one of us is given the responsibility to be His representative here on this planet. Think of all the most magnificent things you can imagine: Jupiter in the sky, the sun, a sunset, Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon, the earth itself, the dinosaurs, the great blue whale, the ocean. God did not create any of these things to be his representation on Earth. None of these things were given the responsibility to care for everything else; to make things grow and develop; to rule everything and make it better; to decide how, where, and when things would be; to have meaningful relationships that would affect the rest of creation. Nothing else was crowned with glory and honor. This great responsibility was given to man. Man would be God’s physical representation over this small portion of Creation called Earth. Man’s ability to do these things is a reflection of His Image. Not the whole Image, but the parts reflected are God’s Image and no one else’s......Strength, peacefulness, courage, dignity, and humility are all marks of His Image being represented in us through our faith. It is when we focus on His purpose for our life instead of the brokenness of our circumstances that we experience the power of the Holy Spirit conforming us into the likeness of Christ. This is what it means to be an Image Bearer."
A.M. LaMouria, The Living Image p. Tate Publishing, Inc. Muskegon, OK, 2009 (pp.34&36)
Wow, we are "given the responsibility to be His representative here on this planet". That's a powerful statement, and it permeates EVERYTHING in our lives...not just the parts that our family, friends, and acquaintances see. We represent the Image of God! Amazing.
And scary.
Have you thought about how you represent the Image of God within the responsibilities of your life? As a mother, a daughter, a wife, a lover, a friend, a sister, a teacher, etc. Chances are, you have considered your influence in a few of these areas, but maybe not all of them?
Let me ask you this; how have you represented the Image of God to your husband lately? In my life, I know that I fall short in many areas, but the main one is just letting the "little things" go. I can be more like the contentious woman spoken about in Proverb 27:15-16, than the Proverb 31 woman who "does him (her husband) good, and not harm, all the days of her life (vs. 12).
God created us to be helpers to our husbands. We have the awesome privilege and responsibility to minister to them in ways no one else can. The union of a husband and wife is the closest human relationship a person can have - who better to reach into their life and lift them up, praise them, and encourage them? My challenge to you today, is to take that responsibility and to act on it. Love your husband the way God wants you to, and bear the Image as only you can.
Next Image Bearing post: Image Bearing Sex. Keep your eyes peeled - it'll be a good one!
Next Image Bearing post: Image Bearing Sex. Keep your eyes peeled - it'll be a good one!
With you for His glory,
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2 comments:
I enjoyed your post very much. I look forward to the next image bearing post.
Wow! Elisabeth - this is awesome! I'm so glad I took the time to read this on a Sunday morning. My husband is our Senior Pastor - I'm going to send him a quick text on this rainy Sunday morning. I know he could use some extra encouragement before the Early Service. Thanks for this wonderful reminder!
My favorite line was "We have the awesome privilege and responsibility to minister to them in ways no one else can." I'll take this with me the rest of the day!
I too can't wait for your next post!
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