Day 4: In His Image

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”   Thomas Merton

It's not what we look like, it's how we love.

  A few years ago I had an overwhelming conviction about the image that I was portraying to others.  You never quite know what others think about you until they tell you and sometimes it can be shocking.  While convicted, I wanted nothing more than for others to see God in me.  I want to reflect our Father in all that I do.  That's huge undertaking I know and that's why I prayed.  During my talk with God, I said..."I want to be your worker, a vessel for you to work from.  I want people to see You, when they look at me....When I look in the mirror, I don't want to see me, I want to see You.  I want to reflect your Spirit."  We are to be walking reflections of our Heavenly Father, the Spirit of Christ is to radiate from us.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  Psalms 139:14

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Head:   Let's think for a moment the complexity of what God did.  First, He created us.  He knew that we would want to be close to Him, to want to be like Him and so, he did us the simple favor with the slightest of words and created us in His image.  Our God is a deliberate God.  He does not make mistakes and He wanted more than anything for us to love Him in the same He loves us.  Imagine how much harder it would have been for our simple minds to "relate" to God if were knew were made unlike Him.  He created BOTH male and female in His image.  The thing is, we can look at it as  being like him "physically" or "spiritually" and personally, I'd rather look like him spiritually.  I would rather reflect his glory through my soul than through my looks.  I'm not getting any younger you know.

That brings us to "...we might become the righteousness..."  All along, God's hope is that we never reject Him, that we love Him back and that we trust Him with our souls.  He wants us to become righteous.  Sometimes when I hear the word "righteous" it sounds like it's being used in a derogatory manner.  When in fact, it is something so precious and we give little thought to our own righteousness.  In marriage, we want the same thing...to have a righteous marriage.  How do we do that?  How do we live so that our marriage is righteous?  God spells it out for us.  He doesn't leave us hanging or wondering.  He wants us each to become closer to Him so that when a husband and wife come together, they are closer to Him in righteousness.  There is a reason.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.  Matthew 18:20

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15: 7

Heart:  God wants nothing more than for us to be His reflection, to be His trusting children.  He has so much in store for us, if we'll only love and trust Him as little children.  As we turn our love towards God, God's love is mirrored towards our husbands.  We begin to see our husbands as God's children as well.  God wants to give your husband the same love He wants to give you.  Should you be just as willing to give your love away as well.  How does it feel when you know your are loved?  How does it make you feel when you don't feel love?   Do you feel more alive, playful, impulsive, free, animated, frisky, thrilled?  The list of how love makes us feel could go on and on.  When we feel loved by God, we feel things like comforted, peaceful, satisfied, thankful and inspired?  Your list may be different than mine but the feelings are universal.  So, should the feelings you express towards your husband.

Hands:  Todays challenge, of course, is in addition to the previous days challenge.  You will still remember to be patient, kind and to find joy.  Today, you will pray for your husband and offer him something that demonstrates your love for him.  Mirror the love that God has for us in your actions, a kind word or something particularly special that simply says "I Love You!"  Personally, I just like to say the words..."I Love You!" as often as possible, with meaning.