The Image of the Creator

The Image of the Creator

by Alice H. Murray

 

“As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’ He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not”

(Romans 4:17, NIV).

 

I flipped through the pages of a magazine until I found what I was seeking. The object of my search was an article spread across two pages accompanied by beautiful pictures—a picturesque blue lake surrounded by woods and a colorful stained-glass window set in an intimate chapel. Ignoring the words of the article and the lovely pictures, I focused on a single line near the top of the page.

“By Alice H. Murray.”

A smile slid across my face as “Yes!” escaped my lips. The article was my creative baby, and it had been given life.

Genesis 1:27 states that man is made in God’s image. The word “image” usually brings to mind physical appearance. I bear the image of my mother because I share her fair skin, freckles, and red hair. I have no idea what God looks like, so I have struggled with what it means to have been made in his image.

Image may also refer to someone’s attributes and behavior. A child may have his mother’s smile or his father’s sense of humor. Made in God’s image could mean that I portray his qualities such as love and compassion.

Becoming a published writer has led me to reconsider the entire concept of bearing God’s image. The statement that man created in his image appears in the middle of the creation story. Taking this statement in context, Genesis suggests our Creator formed us to create. While I may not be fashioning the universe out of nothing, I am following in my Father’s footsteps when I craft my stories from a blank page. When I use my talents, I bear witness to God’s image and bring him glory.

Dear God, thank you for making me in your image. Help me to use the writing talent you have given me to honor you. May my words reflect your glorious creativity. Amen.

 

Alice H. Murray is a lawyer by profession and a writer by passion. She is a staff writer for www.adoption.com and has written articles for legal professional magazines, her local paper, and a missions magazine. Alice’s work has been published in a Chicken Soup For the Soul book and in four books of the Short And Sweet compilation book series.