cruciform

the ancients believed that their leaders were image-bearers of their gods.
pharaoh, for example, was the image-bearer of the egyptian sun god, ra.
this idea, though, is grounded in reality.
God says in genesis 1 that He created the first man and woman in His image. and subsequently, every person whose life origninates from adam + eve (i would argue this is every human who has ever existed, and each one to come) then also bears this same image, God's image, and a significant identity and purpose to represent God to the world.
His goodness, His kindness, His justice, His grace, His integrity, His work ethic, His love for unity within diversity.
"problems arise when people determine that they are more of an image-bearer than others" said dr. jonathan greer,
and then referencing deuteronomy 7, "the Lord did not set his affection on you [israel] and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. but it was because the Lord loved you..."
"proceed in humility" dr. greer cautioned us.
and it struck a chord with this heart that has been wading through a heavy season of testing and sharpening and hard but good. so hard, but so good. the oh-so-painful-but-still-i-wouldn't-trade-it for-ease-and-comfort kind of hard.
because we're free to deeply and genuinely love all people when we recognize how undeserving of love we ourselves truly are.
we're free to give [kindness, forgiveness, grace, approval] to those who have hurt us, when we can see through eyes of humility.
but we don't simply choose to be small before others, this too is a gift, and it is one we must ask for daily, and probably multiple times each day.
to be honest, i don't do this well. sometimes i find myself going days, weeks, riding on my own perceived strength and successes, until God, in His grace, lets me feel all of the things that i naturally am apart from Him.
i see the ugliness and selfishness of this heart that forgets that i can do all things through Christ, and nothing apart from Him.
i experience the debilitating effects of anxiety when i've failed to look to Him for my next steps, but this anxiety, is also in these moments the greatest gift as it points me back to the truest north.
i feel hopeless and lonely until i turn back and see that God, whose image i bear to the world, is also my constant companion and my joy.
i'm thankful, thankful that we haven't been created to live this life without purpose or in isolation. i'm thankful that the God whose image i bear is willing to let me feel pain to be reminded that He alone promises a life without pain, sadness, fear, loneliness, anxiety, regret, sickness, death. because He alone has the words of life and the keys to life and He alone promises that He will come back here, when the time is best, and He will renew, restore, re-create.
if we trust Him and remember our place: undeserving, but fully and completely loved,
then we're free to give the same kind of love, the kind that doesn't need to be earned, because it is gift, grace, cruciform.