Well, here we are at Wednesday with a fresh new challenge for a fresh new year.  In case you missed last week’s post, we are reading Genesis one chapter a week this year, really chewing on what God has to say.  (Every time I say that, it makes me want to quote Thoreau:  “I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.”) What gripped you in Genesis 1 in a whole new way?  Drop into the comments and share!

(Side note… This year I’m reading the Bible in a year and using the God’s Word Translation.  I try to read a different translation each time.  The bulk of my quotes will come from GWT during this challenge.)

Genesis 1:27 (GWT)–So God created humans in his image.  In the image of God he created them.  He created them male and female.

The idea of “beauty” has been on my mind a lot lately.  (I even posted about it last week.)  I’ve read this verse scores of times.  It’s something I know pretty well in my head.  This time, it collided with the beauty thing and really stopped me.  (There’s God throwing that holy pillow at my head again…)

There is nothing in all of the universe and beyond that is more beautiful than God.  Nothing.  He possesses a beauty and a sheer awesomeness that, when coupled with His holiness, will take our breath clear away when we see him face to face.  (Oh, I can’t wait for that day!)

And we are made in His image.  Every single one of us. I don’t know about you, but I have (quite a few of) those moments when I look in the mirror and say, “Ugh.”  Too much this, not enough that…  When I read Genesis 1:27, God whispered in my ear what a sin that is.  In essence, if I call myself ugly, then I call HIM ugly.  I call Him a liar.  I tell Him He somehow made a mistake with me.  In essence, I tell Him the world knows beauty better than He does.

When it’s worded that way, it’s kind of scary, isn’t it?  I would never disrespect God that way, and yet I do it every day when I take a critical look at myself in the mirror.  (Or when I take a critical look at someone else, but that’s a post for another day.)

This is what I want the young women in my life to see.  It’s especially what I want my daughter to see.  God’s lighting this fire in my heart for them.  He’s lighting a fire in my heart for me.  God’s image is beautiful, no matter what form it takes.

-JB