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Gleanings From The Word

Category: devotional

  • Reflections on the image of God

    Reflections on the image of God

    evergreen trees reflected in a puddle

    A simple photograph of an evergreen tree reflecting in a puddle. There’s nothing unusual about it. You can’t see the tree itself, but you know it’s there and what it looks like.

    Even if someone walks through the puddle, you’ll still see the reflection; it won’t be as clear, but it will be there.  That’s the nature of reflections.

    In a way, the bible talks about reflections. It uses the word image.

    “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…’
    So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”     Genesis 1:26-27

    We are created “imago Dei” in the image of God. Our lives reflect Him. All people carry that image to some degree, even if it sonly hows the absence of God in their lives. He is still magnified because the absence of God in some lives shows the difference of having Him in someone’s life.

    Every person’s life has value because it is in the image of God, that is, ontological dignity.

    We are designed to be in relationship with God and others. His image gives us relational capacity.

    Since we represent God, we are to show His character. That is our moral vocation.

    As image bearers, we are given dominion to manage, not exploit the resources He gave us (or every type). We have representative dominion – we act as His ambassadors and stewards.

    Believers have a calling to better representation since we have been saved and Holy Spirit dwells in us.

    Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:5-10

    What kind of an image are you reflecting. If people watched the puddle of your life, would the tree be seen more clearly over time? Would God be magnified even more by the way you represent Him, and compared to Jesus over time?

    May the imago Dei be ever more clear in you. May you bring Him more glory day by day.

    Be blessed

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  • Finding true Strength

    Finding true Strength

    There is a stereotype out there, particularly among non-Christian men, but even among men in the church. That thought is that Jesus was a weakling, a powerless wimp. He had no strength. “Gentle Jesus meek and mild,” “Little baby Jesus,” “Got himself killed before his ministry took off.”

    Somehow, in the minds of many, being a Christian, especially a Christian man, makes you weak, a wimp. Meekness is confused with weakness. Meekness is strength and power restrained and under control.

    Humility is confused with a lack of self-worth. Some say that putting the needs of others first is not what a “real man” would do. You must look out for number one! Yet, putting others first is exactly what the only perfect man who ever lived did,

    Jesus confronted the established religious authorities on their errors. He overturned the tables of the sellers and money changers in the temple and drove them out with a whip. He willingly allowed himself to be falsely convicted, abused, mocked, ridiculed, and killed for the sake of others. 

    He still had time to demonstrate the love of God to a hostile world and to both teach and live in humility. He chose to be born in a hick town in the middle of nowhere and live, minister, and die in a backwater country in a corner of the empire.

    Making our salvation possible was not the work of a wimp. We see such strength in some of his followers. Paul gave up a life as a well-regarded teacher brought up under the finest of rabbis, for a life of service to the true king. It was no easy road.

    Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food,  in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28

    He went to his death for Christ. The history of the church is filled with people who gave everything for Jesus. Even the ordinary person in the pew pays some price for following Jesus.

    Wimps? Hardly. As cold as we might be? No. But we are all works in progress.

    Our strength is in Christ. There is no greater cause.

    Being a follower of Jesus is not for the faint of heart, but there is nothing that tops it. Nothing that comes close.

    Look at the truth and examine your heart. It isn’t strength that keeps you away, it’s foolish pride. Take the step of humility and accept Christ today.

    Be blessed

    Kevin

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