Image bearers

The human race was created distinctly from other species we have in the earth by God. What makes humans different is that humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), they are therefore image bearers of God. No wonder one of God’s first command to humans was to subdue the earth, they were to have dominion over it which is similar to what God has, dominion over everything. Indeed, when other species look at us they see a bit of God. The same applies to us, when we look at each other, we see a bit of God in us. It is incredible that God would choose us to reflect Him in such a powerful way but then again He is God, and He does as He pleases! As image bearers, we are meant to display the characters of God such as truthfulness, faithfulness, love, etc. Only image bearers can do that. I believe God is very pleased with us when we reflect him in all that we do. One bible character who did that very well unbeknownst to him was Job. You might be familiar with Job’s story, but my focus today is not about what he went through but how he was an image bearer of God in what he went through.

Job’s life started very well, he was prominent, he was wealthy, he lacked no good thing, in today’s terms “he was living the life”. However, a conversation that happened between God and the Accuser (Satan) in the heavens in which God asked Satan (who seemed to have showed up in a meeting unannounced) what he thought of his servant Job. God then goes on to describe Job as a man that is “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8). Let me pause here for a minute. Do you see how God speaks of Job? Do you sense the pride in His words? It’s as though God is showcasing Job before Satan just to say, “look at this son of mine that reflects my glory, he makes me look good!”. It is a good thing when God is pleased with you, when you are able to hear the words in the end “well done. Good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). Unfortunately for Job, he had no idea of this conversation, nor the outcome of this boasting of God before Satan. In that conversation, Satan really takes on his identity of an Accuser and liar because he tells God that Job is not all that and that Job is only serving God because of the things he has or the things God has given him (wealth, family, resources, etc.). So, God does the unthinkable, he allows Satan to go prove Him a point. This permission from God, means Job is stripped of his material blessings and his children in a heartbeat. It happens so fast that I wonder if Job even had the time to process it on that day. However, what we know of Job’s reaction is that “he did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:22). This is my point, Job proved God to be right and Satan to be a liar without even knowing it! Job’s action reflected God and in that moment he was a true image bearer of God. Job’s action declared the truth of God and in a conversation where he was not present, God had even more reasons to be proud before Satan or rather to prove Satan wrong. God was lifted up in Job’s actions, God was glorified.

Job shows us what we should be doing as image bearers. No wonder Paul tells us to be his imitators as he himself imitates Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). We imitate because we have the capacity in us to display God to the world and to each other. We imitate because to God be the glory! It is never about us and will never be about us. The story of Job makes this point very clearly. We have been given an amazing privilege, to mirror God to the world; a world that is filled with darkness, sadness, death, pain, and sin. We, as image bearers and lights of the world have been given a mandate to shine it brightly and to honour God in what we do. Unfortunately, we often forget that we carry the image of God in us and so our actions, instead of highlighting God diminish Him. They make God out to be a liar when He is not, they render Christ’s sacrifice insufficient, even futile. This unfortunately is blasphemy, by our actions we desecrate God, His holiness and we perpetuate that to others. Regrettably, image bearers either carry the fragrance of Christ with them or they don’t, they either display God or they display the opposite. None of their actions are inconsequential.

Since we were created as image bearers we do have image-bearing like capabilities, the question is whose image are you bearing today? What in your life contradicts the truth and beauty of God? What in your life misrepresents God? Would you prayerfully seek your heart today and ask God to realign you to His ways? He promised to always honour and answer such prayers.