The Image of God

The Image of God

THE IMAGE OF GOD

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. Ephesians 5:1

Every child’s first image of God is his earthly father. The place we need to begin, in our desire to protect and improve our Christian witness is our home. We need to live our faith in front of co-workers and friends, but in the privacy of our home, we also want our family to see Jesus in us. If we show love, forgiveness, faithfulness, patience, and generosity, then our children will expect to find those traits in the Lord.

In a similar way, negative behaviors — for example, consistent harshness, indifference, or unfaithfulness — also shape a child’s view of God. I remember a young man who came to me worried about his salvation. He had received Christ as his personal Saviour but wasn’t convinced he was truly forgiven. When I opened the Scriptures to share some assurances with him, he responded, “I believe them, but I’m just not sure God’s promises apply to me.” He seemed surprised when I asked about his relationship with his father. During our conversation, it came out that his dad had often made promises he failed to keep. Now, years later, the young man was finding it difficult to believe that God is loving and forgiving.

God has placed a huge responsibility on us parents to be worthy ambassadors of Christ. Becoming an accurate reflection of the heavenly Father requires that we submit to Him, walk in all His ways and seek to please Him in everything we do. We must also approach parenthood as an area of service and ministry to the Lord.

One of the great legacies we can leave our children is to model true fatherhood and as a result make it easier for them to relate with the Heavenly Father.

Prayer: Ask the Lord for grace to live a consistent and godly life before all those who look up to you, especially your children.

Scriptural Reading: Ephesians 5:1-14

The Image of God