Created in His Image: See Your Beauty in God’s Eyes

I have never seen the beauty in my own skin. That is until my sister took a new picture of me several weeks ago and I finally figured out that I actually liked me (even if, because, there was no one else in the picture to compare myself to). Come on, you do it.

You will be in a picture with a group of friends and instead of seeing the moment of joy, you find yourself and immediately want to take the picture all over again…

I look just like both of my parents. I’ve always loved to look at pictures of them especially as a child.

When my sister and I were children, my dad would sing to us as we stumbled to the breakfast table with our hair askew, and sleep-encrusted eyes. “There she comes, Miss America.” The funny thing is, he meant it. Nonetheless, looking at myself has always been painful.

In high school, it was always my hair. I was supposed to have the infamous Farah Fawcett wings. Unfortunately, my hair was very fine and thin. No amount of Aqua NetⓇ could hold it in place. One of my best friends slept in curlers and worked on her hair for an hour before she boarded the school bus; her hair never moved.

I’ve also been short, 5’2”, and a little more well rounded than my taller friends. I was popular. I was even very self-confident until I saw myself in a picture. I always tried to kid myself out of feeling this way by saying, “I was glad God only gave me a sense of humor and not beauty, too, because I wouldn’t be able to handle the responsibility of both.”

When my son was two years old, we were driving home one evening. Suddenly, he started clapping his chubby little hands and giggling. Then he loudly said, “Yay God!” I was confused. I looked in the rearview mirror and realized he was looking out the side window. I turned and saw the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. My two-year-old was praising God with everything he had. How could I look at an incredible sunset and think, “Wow, God is amazing! Look at what He has done,” only to go home and look in the mirror in disgust.

God made me! He crafted me by hand. He breathed life into me! He is prouder of what He made of me than he is of a fleeting sunset. I am made in His image, which goes far beyond my understanding. But I do know that it doesn’t mean God and I are twinsies.

What I do understand is that I am His representative in character. I am to be compassionate, giving, understanding, accepting, forgiving, and loving to name a few. It is getting harder and harder to find these God reflective images in the world today. It’s up to me and every other believer to model His character and appreciate our unique beauty.

I think most of us cut God short when we complain about how we look. He is more concerned about us reflecting Him. He isn’t interested in the fact that we have the latest haircut or wear the most fashionable clothes. That certainly has nothing to do with His intent of our creation. He sent His Son to die for me, not the sunset. Who am I to not love myself, to see what He sees in this Creation?

There are times when you may have been taken advantage of, mistreated, and even abused. Yet, that doesn’t take away your beauty in God’s eyes. He wants to help you feel like the wondrous being who is created in His image.

“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, ESV

“Your heart, mind, hands, and feet are stamped with the imprint of the Creator. Little wonder that the Devil wants you to be ashamed of your body.” – Joni Eareckson Tada