Imago Dei: We Are Made in God’s Image

We were made in God’s image. That truth is found in Genesis 1, but when was the last time you stopped to ponder what that means? That’s what Sarah is looking at in this post.

Have you ever read a verse or passage in the Bible that changed everything for you? Maybe it was John 3:16, and you discovered new depths of God’s love. Or perhaps it was Ephesians 2:8-9 that helped you understand grace in a way you never had before.

I could go on and on with incredible examples of transformative passages in the Bible, but I want to invite you to contemplate Genesis 1:27 with me today. This is a verse that I’ve been meditating on recently that has had a real impact on me.

“So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.” (NIV)

This is a verse that we’ve likely all read before. It’s right there in the first chapter of the Bible! But how often do we take time to really think about the implications of this verse?

We Were Made in God’s Image

Genesis 1 is so incredible because we learn about God’s creativity and greatness. Not only does He have the strength and ability to create birds, fish, and animals, sky, stars, and plants, but He also creates beautifully, intricately, and strategically.

If the story ended with God creating this really amazing world, it would still be awesome. But He didn’t stop there. In fact, God said that this good earth that He created was missing something: humanity. God wanted people to walk the earth who could steward the earth well and reflect God’s image to the world around us. This good world was incomplete without us, God’s image bearers.

This brings me back to Genesis 1:27. This verse speaks to a concept called Imago Dei (image of God), a truth that can change everything. Let’s think a little more deeply about this biblical concept and how we can live this out daily.

I am Made in God’s Image

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with feelings like shame and worthlessness more than I’d like to admit. Sometimes, I look at friends, or coworkers, or people I follow on social media, and I wonder if I’m ______ enough (fill in the blank). If I don’t guard these thoughts carefully, they can take me down some unhealthy avenues.

But the truth is that I am made in the image of God. He created me in His likeness to reflect Him to the world around me. I have dignity, value, and worth not for anything that I create or do, but simply because I am God’s beloved child. That’s it. For me, this simple truth has been transformative in how I see myself.

Do you believe you are made in God’s image? How does that truth change how you see yourself? How does that change how you live?

Related Post: Learning How to Love Because It’s Worth It

They are Made in God’s Image

This biblical truth has the ability to change not just how we see ourselves but how we see those around us. Whether they are people we like or don’t like, who like or don’t like us, they are still made in God’s image. 

I don’t know about you, but I have already started protesting internally. What about _________? I say to myself as I’m typing this.

But the incredible truth is that even that person is made in the image of God and has dignity and value and worth. The people we love and get along with swimmingly and the people we dislike, who we never see eye-to-eye with. The people who aren’t like us, the people who scare us, the people who make us uncomfortable, even they are made in God’s image. 

• The person without a home
• The person behind bars
• The person at the border
• The person in the hospital
• The person who drinks too much
• The person who swears too much
• The person who doesn’t vote like you
• The person with the lawn signs that fill you with rage

Even they are made in God’s image. 

Think About It

Do you believe that all people are made in God’s image? How does that truth change how you see those around you? How does that change how you live?

We live in a time of dehumanization, when people are thought of and spoken about as “less than.” But that’s not what the Bible says. From the beginning, humanity was created in God’s image. Genesis 1:27 reminds us that we are all God’s image bearers.

I believe this is an important and powerful biblical truth. And when we understand that all humans are made in God’s image, it can change how we see ourselves and those around us. Understanding that we are all image bearers can help us change how we live, which is a beautiful thing. 

Spending Time with Jesus

If you liked this devotional, we encourage you to check out Sarah’s book, Behold. It’s an invitation to just sit with God. Spend time with Him. Enjoy His presence. Filled with open-ended prompts and lots of blank space to write, every devotional shines a spotlight on His goodness so you can just sit in the palm of His hand. Available on Amazon.