Genesis 1:26-31 26 Then God
said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in
the sky, over the
livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along
the ground.” 27 So
God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them
and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the
sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I
give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree
that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to
all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures
that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.”
And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
This recently came to light for me as I was leading one of my men’s groups through an exercise of reflecting on the little boy inside each of us. As I was taking part in the exercise for myself, the phrase “I am created” came up for me. In fact, once the phrase surfaced, I could not get off of that phrase. It was then and there that I realized that I do not always live life as if I were created.
So, what is the difference? In a nutshell, those who do not believe the creation story basically believe that we are just colliding atoms and chemicals melted together into the being we are. When we die, that is the end of us. Everything we do is based on selectivity and survival of the fittest. Those of us who believe we are created by God basically understand that there is a creator; we have a purpose; we have an eternal soul; and when we die, there is an eternity.
What I realized during the exercise was that I forget at times that I am created. I tend to live life as if I am just a bunch of chemicals colliding and trying to survive life. I will wander aimlessly, acting out a victim’s life in my world. I let my circumstances dictate my life too much at times. It is in these moments that I have bought into a lie that I am not created. At the core of this thinking and lack of belief, I no longer have purpose. I cease to have power in my life. At that point, I have checked out.
When I live life as if I am created, I begin to see my purpose (or at least that I know I have a purpose). I live life as if I am loved. I wander less. I treat others as if they are created. I recognize the gift of life. I have hope for eternity. I feel, I decide, I love, I desire, I live. I am reminded that I am created in the image of God and His Son. And at the end of that day (the sixth day of creation), He said, “…it was very good.”
Questions/challenges:
1.
How do you connect or not connect with this article?
2.
Do you catch yourself not feeling created in life? How so?
3.
When do you feel most “created”?
4.
What are some examples of how you know you are created?
5.
Spend some time this week in silence, reflection and meditation
around the phrase “I am created”. Notice
what comes up for you.
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