Building our own Image

The first two pages of day one of our week three study touches on critical issues that affect many women in today's world -the issues concerning image.  Like Beth Moore says, our culture's fascination with the physical is out of control.  Looks are prioritized to the extreme that it is not rare to encounter, otherwise perfectly beautiful young girls, obsessed with their image, suffering from such illness as anorexia, bulimia, depression, anxiety, stress, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc, etc, etc...diseases that where unheard of years ago, let alone observed in teenage girls, all as a result of the excessive preoccupation with their self-image and insecurities.  Peer pressure, parental demands and societal expectations at large create such a level of unrealistic vision of what a person should look, dress, act, speak, behave like, that the brain can't take it anymore and the body explodes with biological manifestations of the condition of the mind. 

This is not to say that we are to disregard our image; not at all.  On the contrary, we are to cultivate the image that we were given, the image of the Most High God, given unto us as He, Himself created us. (Genesis 1:27)   And the way we cultivate such divinely created image is by trying to "look" as much as possible like the visible representation of our God, that is like Jesus the Christ.  That is how we are to build our own image.  By attempting to "look" more like Christ.  The challenge is in discovering what in the world "looking" like Christ even looks like?  As I pondered this question of the ages, I decided to really think about it.  "What does Jesus look like to me"?  What do I really think about His image?  Can I put it into words so the idea becomes more concrete in my head?  Can I come up with a few adjectives to describe my Lord to myself?  Shortly after, a string of thoughts appeared in my mind:  Jesus the Christ, My Lord and Savior is, to my eyes, strong but merciful; almighty, but without pride; bold and outspoken, but humble; firm, but compassionate; forgiving, but just; unafraid and willing to stand for the truth, as He is truth himself, even if it cost Him His precious life, loving to the point of sacrificing His life for His beloved.  This is the image that I need to mirror.  A mighty task, indeed.  An impossible task if I were to do it on my own...like the song by Matthew West says:  "I'm not strong enough"...but again, He knows that; therefore He becomes our strength if we let Him...We can do all things, in Christ who gives us strength...and knowing this IS the secret of being content.(Phil: 4:12-13)

"Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever.  Wisdom and power are His.  He changes time and seasons.  He sets up kings and deposes them..." (Daniel 2:19)  A Mighty God is our God; lets let Him be God while we are still and take refuge in His tower of strength.