READ: GENESIS 1:26-30; PSALM 8

If you’ve grown up in church, you’ve probably heard the account of creation in Genesis 1 and 2. You know that God formed humanity out of the dust of the earth. But you may have been confused about the part where God created us in His own image. What does that mean?

It’s true that we are not all-knowing or all-powerful like God. It’s true that we are not holy like God. But we are set apart and made differently from the rest of creation. Just because God designed us with some similarities to the animals (such as hair and bone structures) doesn’t mean we are just another animal.

Being created in the image of God means we can have a relationship with the Almighty God that no animal can have. And even though humans rejected that relationship, Jesus became human, died on the cross, and rose again to make the way for us to be with Him again. It also means we share certain attributes with God, like emotions, intellect, and morality. God shows emotions like anger, sadness, kindness, frustration, and compassion—and we do too, because we are made in His image. In fact, part of what being made in God’s image means is that we are His representatives on the earth, charged with caring for and ruling over all that He has made.

God is creative in His creation. From His beautiful lilies to His colorful cardinals, God’s handiwork is awesome. Because you are made in the image of God, you too have the capacity and calling to create. Can you speak matter into being like God can? No. But you can learn to draw, or build, or write, or make music, or dance, or garden, or develop mathematical equations, or use your innate creativity in any number of ways. God has given every person the ability to be creative. You can create things that rocks and plants and animals cannot. You were made in the image of God. And you are the most cherished of His creation. • Doug Velting

• Being made in God’s image means we hold a special place in His heart. In fact, He loves us so much that Jesus came to die and rise again so we could be forgiven and live with Him forever. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that when He renews creation, we will reign with Him and joyfully express our creativity in ways we can’t even imagine yet! How might God’s love affect the way we live, and the way we use the creativity He has given us, here and now?

• What are some ways you like to be creative? How could you make time for that this week?

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 (NLT)