Genesis 1 reveals that when God created human beings, there was something distinct about people compared to anything else that God created. You see, unlike the plants, animals, and other parts of creation that God made, only humans were created in the image of God. This truth makes all the difference. Because we were made in the image of God, our lives carry deep significance. The decisions we make and the way we live our daily lives matter.
We learn in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, Genesis, that something was unique about humans than the rest of God’s creation. In Genesis 1, the author of the book of Genesis gave an account of the creation of the world. On the sixth day of creation, he wrote that God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry on the ground” (verse 26). On this day of creation, God created humans to be God’s image bearers to reign over all of the different animals on the earth. After explaining this, the writer of Genesis summarized God's creation of human beings, saying, "So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them" (verse 27). Three times in two verses, the author of Genesis explained that human beings were created in God's image. Two of those times were in the same verse. This truth was undoubtedly repeated so that we would remember it. Nothing else in all creation was created in God's image. The New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible explains that to be created in God's image means we were created to reflect God's attributes, such as His love, kindness, joy, peace, and more. Being created in His image also means that we were created to have a relationship with Him.
The writer of Ecclesiastes provides a broader perspective on what it means to be created in God's image. In Ecclesiastes 3, he wrote, "God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart" (verse 11). In each one of us, God created us with the understanding that we were created for more. We were created to spend eternity with God and have a relationship with Him. That’s the joy of being created in God’s image.
You were created in the image of God, friend. You were created on purpose for a purpose. The question is, are you living your life purposefully, or are you living from day to day, forgetting that you were made in the image of God and for a purpose? Let’s be people who make the very most of our time, knowing that the way we live matters, both for today and for eternity.
After reading the verses listed in the Going Deeper section below, reflect on the truth that you were made in the image of God. Then, answer this question truthfully: “Am I living this life on purpose, as someone made in God’s image?” If not, what is holding you back? Whether you answered this question with "Yes" or "No," there is always room to grow. What is one step you can take in order to live each day with purpose?
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.
6 Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” 7 And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. 8 God called the space “sky.”
And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.
9 Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. 10 God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. 12 The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
13 And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.
14 Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. 15 Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. 16 God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, 18 to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.
20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”
23 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.
24 Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. 25 God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
27 So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”
29 Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.
31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.
