What is Man?

    A few weeks ago I began to read Genesis 1. Little did I know that this was just the beginning (pun intended) of God speaking to me about my identity and value in Him. Now, I’d love to share the journey thus far with you. 

First I will start at the beginning in Genesis 1:26-27: 

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” 

 

Have you ever taken a few minutes surrounded by creation? How about in solitude? If you have, you might have experienced the beauty and awe of God’s work. Take yourself back to that place of wonder. Breath it in. Then think about this: God created you and said you are very good. Not only that, but he put you in charge of this beauty. My next thoughts look something like this:

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” -Psalm 8:3-4

It seems I am not the first to experience this awe. King David knows exactly what this feels like. If you read Psalm 8 in entirety (it’s short), which I highly recommend, it describes how God has placed a little lower than himself, and how he was given us dominion over his creation, AND he has crowned us with glory and honor!

A picture came to mind when I realized this: 

There is a very talented artist that has made a variety of beautiful and unique sculptures. Each of them different from the rest. Each of them made by hand with care. When he finished, he called his two children to him and told them to take care of his sculptures. He put his trust in them. 

I am someone who enjoys doing artsy things, such as drawing, painting, and such. When I finish an art piece of mine, never would I ever willingly let a child have my beautiful artwork that I just spent so much care and time on. Yet, God does. He created this world and everything in it and handed it over to us, His very good creations, stewarding over the good creations.

Let’s reflect:

Do you believe that you are more valuable to God than the stars, mountains, rivers, and oceans? What about the eagles, whales, horses, (and the list goes on)? I know it is not something I did not think about until God kept speaking this bible verse into my life this past month or so. What about the way we live? Does our true value affect the way we live our lives every day? Do we speak truth confidently and give grace generously? Do we believe we have something important to give to the world around us and do we give it? It took someone saying to me, over and over throughout life, that I matter and what I have to say matters. People may even want to hear what I have to say. I am differently constructed to bring something to the table that not other people have because of the way God made me. I have to remind myself of this truth sometimes, and God reminds me too. The same is true for you. Do you believe it? Do you live it?

Living like this takes boldness and courage. Fear and doubt so often come and steal us away from the boldness we get from our loving Father. Here is a verse that was encouraging to me in this battle to live as a valuable child of God:

 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” (Ephesians 1:13)

We are sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit. We belong to God and we have a helper within us, to guide us and abide in us here on earth. We are not the ones doing the real work, but the Spirit. All we have to do is say yes. Thank God! I encourage you to ask God to guide you to see how valuable you are to Him, and be able to live that out every day. He will. Expect great things!

Concluding thoughts:

In the beginning, I opened Genesis 1 and read God’s creation story of human beings. He made us in His own image. He said that we were “very good.” He gave us His creation to steward. In Psalm 8, King David reflected in awe of God’s handiwork, attempting to hold the beauty of creation with the fact that we are valued more than everything else God created.

 God set the moon and stars in place. He made the mountains, the ocean and its depths. He made each creature, of the land, sea, and sky. How great is our God. 

Above all God’s creation He set humans, whom He called “very good” and loved deeply. Even though man turned from God and sinned, breaking the world and affecting all of creation, God still deeply loved us. He loved us past the sin to the cross, to the grave, to hell, to heaven, and back. Day after day God seeks relationship with you. If we choose to receive His grace to us, we are sealed with the promise of eternal life and the gift of the Holy Spirit, who guides us each day. Oh how good is our God. 

How great is our God. 

How good is our God.

Let this seep into your soul. Let it change you. He is great and He is good. 

Peace,

-Megan Token