God’s image sets us apart.

God’s image sets us apart.

Exactly how human beings were created remains a mystery
for the creator alone to unveil. Yet I am sure of one thing:
no person can find meaning or purpose without God. Rather
than dismiss the creation story simply because we do not
understand it, we need to find its inner, true meaning and
rediscover its significance for us today.
In our depraved age, reverence for God’s plan as described
in Genesis has been almost completely lost. We do not
treasure the meaning of creation enough – the significance of
both man and woman as creatures formed in the image and
likeness of God. This likeness sets us apart in a special way
from the rest of creation and makes each human life sacred
(Gen. 9:6). To view life in any other way – for instance, to
view others only in the light of their usefulness, and not as
God sees them – is to disregard their worth and dignity.
What does creation “in God’s image” mean? It means that
we are to be a living picture of who God is. It means that
we are to be co-workers who further his work of creating
and nurturing life. It means that we belong to him, and that
our being, our very existence, should always remain related
to him and bound to his authority. The moment we separate
ourselves from God we lose sight of our purpose here on
earth.
In Genesis we read that we have the living spirit of God:
“The Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became
a living being” (Gen. 2:7). In giving us his spirit, God made
us responsible beings who possess the freedom to think and
act, and to do so in love.
But even if we possess a living spirit, we remain only
images of the creator. And when we look at creation in a
God-centered, not human-centered, way we will understand
our true place in his divine order of things. The person who
denies that God is his origin, who denies that God is a living
reality in his life, will soon be lost in a terrible emptiness.
Ultimately, he will find himself trapped in the self-idolatry
that brings with it self-contempt and a contempt for the worth
of others.