Imago Dei
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth'.”
Genesis 1: 26-28
In his article titled, The imago Dei as Vocation, Dr. Paul Sands writes, "human beings find themselves when they lose themselves in service to God. When Jesus said to his followers, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me; go therefore and make disciples of all nations', he was calling God's vice-regents to find their true identity and recover authentic humanity".
Prior to reading this I had primarily thought of the imago Dei concept in terms of human beings all bearing characteristics of God and inherently beholding dignity. I also was familiar with the idea that we were created through relationship and for relationship therefore being created out of the Trinitarian nature of God we are designed for relationship with God and one another. Both of these perspectives are true but Dr. Sands points out that "Genesis 1:26-28 says less about the nature of the imago than about the task assigned to humankind".
When I think about this concept in terms of those who do not yet know God it makes me wonder what will happen when whole nations, tribes, and people groups designed "to mediate God's presence, power and rule in the earth...preparing the ways for God's own rule" (as Dr. Sands puts it) are introduced to their creator, God and discover their true calling . What will it look like for the people of Thailand to "find their true identity and recover authentic humanity"?
Will you join us in praying that all people, everywhere meet their creator and step into their God-given vocation to see His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven?
About the Author: Jamie is serving in Thailand with her husband and two children. She is passionate about working to create pathways that both prevent women from entering the sex trade and provide a way out so that they can discover the hope and healing that is found in Jesus. She earned her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Denver Seminary in 2016 and has been working as a professional counselor since then.
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