By There’s something behind your pain, your hurt and your struggle. And it’s not the devil.
Believe it or not, it’s something godly.
In Latin, it’s called imago Dei. In English, we call it the image of God.
“So God created human beings in his own image” (Genesis 1:27).
I know, that can be confusing. What does that even mean? Does it mean God’s looks? His voice? His physical form?
No, it’s nothing physical.
Being made in God’s image means you came from Him, and because of that, something of Him remains in you: His value and His dignity.
Some people argue that this image was lost after sin. But Scripture doesn’t agree.
Long after sin entered the world, in God’s warning to Noah and his sons against murder, He affirmed that humans are still made in His image. God said that taking a human life is treated as an attack on Himself, because people bear His likeness. (See Genesis 9:6.)
My point is: God’s image remains in you. It’s there at your core, despite sin, pain or whatever life deals you.
Beyond sounding inspirational, why does this matter?
When you embrace that you contain God’s likeness, it changes how you face hard things.
For one, you stop seeing suffering as proof that God is mad at you or against you. After all, God wouldn’t afflict His own image.
Secondly, knowing you’re made in God’s image helps you see difficulties and imperfections for what they are—real, yes—but not defining. That is, they may explain parts of you, but they don’t get to determine who you are.
And that’s where resilience comes from.
When you define yourself first as someone who carries God’s image, then failures, rejection and unfairness can’t trap you in long-term despair. That’s because you know your worth isn’t based on how well life is going.
Yes, life can be painful for all kinds of reasons. That’s real.
But even more real is this: behind any pain, hurt, struggle or sin is the imprint of a Father who made you in His image, and will never stop calling you His own.
Knowing that you contain God’s image is just one truth that helps you remain strong in any struggle. I explore more like this in my Strong in the Struggle series. Get all 5 messages today for your donation of any amount.