Creating God in Our Image

"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness;"

so God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created him.

Genesis 1: 26&27

It has been said that ever since God created us in His own image, we have more than reciprocated.  It would be sad if it weren't so humorous.  We are ever prone to make God look, act and feel like a human. 

In the old movie, The Ten Commandments, they used Charlton Heston's voice for the voice of God talking to Moses (played by Charlton as well).  Perhaps they did that because that is how God sounds to people -- just like themselves!  Greek and Norse mythologies are about gods behaving like men and women complete with our own petty jealousies, capriciousness, and immorality.  To this day, we all project our inconsistencies upon God: God likes the people we like, puts up with the ones we put up with, ridicules the ones we ridicule, and way too often tells us exactly what we want to hear, I am afraid!  (The song by Mark Heard, Everybody Loves a Holy War, is all about this as well.)

The God of the Bible exhibits amazing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control toward a human race that not only distorts His image, but treats people in ways He would never intend.  Because of what Jesus did on the cross, God intends to form that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in us through His Spirit (see Galatians 5:22).  Be on the lookout for the times when this "re-creation" is happening.  Allow God to make you into His image, not visa-versa. 

By fantastic mercy,

-Mike   

PS -- Jesus is the image of the invisible God! (2 Corinthians 4:4)