And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth. – Gen 1:27-28
What does it mean that you are made “in the image of God?” It means that we are invited to share in God’s love and creative power.
While God alone has the power to give life and to create from nothing, we are called to co-create with Him. Perhaps the highest form of this calling comes in cooperating with God to bring children into this world. While not everyone’s vocation involves physical parenthood, our fundamental complementarity as male and female is made for that role. It is both an awesome gift and a responsibility. As we raise the next generation, we are called to teach them about God and about their own responsibility to help build up the world. Most of our lives may seem relatively insignificant in the whole story of the world, but we each have a role to play.
In his Letter to Artists, St. John Paul II stated, “With loving regard, the divine Artist passes on to the human artist a spark of his own surpassing wisdom, calling him to share in his creative power.” We are to use what God has given us to both care for and develop our world. This task is part of our fundamental purpose as human beings.
Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for creating me in your image and for bestowing on me both the gift and responsibility of sharing in your creative power. Please help me to always use that power for good.
Action
Today, reflect on the gift of your own creation. Take time to appreciate the miracle of human life – our ability to breathe, move, think, and love. Remember that you are a unique gift of God, with the ability and responsibility to impact the world.
This is an excerpt from The Work of Our Hands. (Amazon affiliate link)
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