The Pinnacle: Genesis 1:26-31
God created us and called us to be in His image. What a wonderful statement. When the creator of the universe created us, He considered His own qualities and made us in that image. What a blessing He has given to us!
Up to this moment in the story, God created with the crowning achievement in mind. We know this because when God creates man and woman, he gives creation to them. God directs man and woman to take dominion over creation. All of creation was made for that particular moment in time.
What a spectacular thought! Creation was made for humanity. Creation was designed so when He placed us in it, God’s design was completed. We are both a part of creation and the jewel of creation.
This means care should be taken with this understanding. It is possible to hear this idea and think that creation is ours to use as we desire. It is possible to read these words and think we have the right to do whatever we want. If we’re not careful about our reading of these words, we can become entitled with our understanding of our place in creation.
Look deeply at the description. The Bible claims we are made in the image of God. Personally, I don’t take this phrase literally. I don’t believe we literally look like God. I believe we are made to be like God. He wants us to embody His heart. He wants us to possess His character. We are not God; we certainly do not have His power or His wisdom. But we are made in His image. We are to be like Him.
Consider God’s role in our lives. God cares for us. He does not use us and toss us away like yesterday’s newspaper; God molds us and shapes us and invites us into His plan. We are not His playthings to obey His whim; He nurtures us and watches over us. He protects us and guides us.
When God makes us in His image and He gives dominion over creation to us, He intends for us to take care of His creation. He wants us to interact with creation in such a way as it rises to its potential. Dominion doesn’t mean we do as we please; dominion means we do what is best for creation.
If we are made in His image, then we should act like it. When God sent Jesus to die for our sake, He did that at great personal cost to Himself and for our benefit. This servant leadership perspective should be our approach to how we interact with His creation. Our interaction with creation should embody the ideal of costly grace. Creation may have been made for our enjoyment and we may have been made to be the crown jewel of creation, but we should be about supporting creation so it becomes its ideal state. God created us and called us to be in His image.
