The Absolute Easiest Way to Touch Anyone with Truth
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27
In His image. Three words we are so used to hearing, they may not really register anymore. Take a minute to let them soak in once again. Every person. Every single one is an image bearer of the King. Let’s do a quick rundown of who this includes:
• you
• your spouse
• each member of your family
• the widow next door
• the homeless man downtown
• the wealthy Hollywood starlet
• the self-destructive addict
• the politician you adamantly disagree with
• the criminal on skid row
• the co-worker who drives you crazy
• the barista who crafted your morning blend
• and most certainly, every child that crosses your path
Yes, sin was invited in, so now each one has been distorted from its original design, but every one still bears His DNA (Genesis 9:6; James 3:9). Do we see people this way? Can we?
Are you ready for a beautiful, radical idea? Caesar Kalinowski, executive director at GCM Collective, says that he actively looks for the ways those around him display the image of God and he TELLS THEM. Can you imagine it? Instead of “Hey, I like the painting you did,” you might say, “I just love how creative you are. It reminds me of how God came up with all the amazing colors to paint the sunsets.” How simple is that? None of it is made up; all of it is true. But it redirects the glory from the person onto the Creator. And hearing a compliment framed in that way gives the person a sense of whose image they were formed in. This is especially beautiful for those who do not have a relationship with their Creator. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to plant a seed of the divine creation into those who errantly believe their existence is a random collision of stray molecules? And to do it with a compliment disarms as it educates. You can’t get a better plan than that. Let’s all keep our eyes peeled for the Imago Dei so we can intentionally draw attention to it today.
