For students across the country, it is school picture time. The kids went to school dressed specially for their pictures. Now the prints arrive at home and sometimes leave a little to be desired. Other times they accurately reflect the cuteness and beauty of the child. Considering school pictures again this year, they reminded me of the reality that God made us in His image.

Genesis one presents the fact that God made man differently than all other creation. He chose to make man in His image and His likeness. An image is an object that reflects another thing’s reality, much like a picture demonstrates the reality of you. Humanity reflects in some way the reality of God.

There are a couple of important notes before we get to the point. First, we are not saying that humanity is somehow a part of God. The picture is not you, nor is it a part of you. It is simply a representation of you. So, we are not God or a portion of God; we are merely a representation of God. Second, sin marred this image. When Adam plunged humanity into sin, the image no longer represented a perfect representation of God. Like coffee spilled on a picture, the image has been marred. It is still there. But not quite right.

The image of God gives us value. All human life holds value because we have been made in God’s image. Over the next few weeks, we will explore what this means and how this plays out in everyday life. But please understand that you have incredible value because you hold God’s image. The restoration of this image, our relationship, and the redemption from sin drove Christ to the cross for us. Such is the value of man.

As believers, we should strive to image God accurately. Our role is to present an accurate representation of God to the world. How you work, eat, play, interact, and serve demonstrates what you want the world to think about God. Suddenly everything takes on a little more sobriety. Let us work together to image God accurately and grant the value to all humanity they deserve as God’s image-bearers.