Image Maker

One of the campus ministries I attend has been doing a series on our Image Maker. Despite the fact that I have sat through many bible studies, sermons, and devotionals on self worth and finding our identity in Christ his approach took a new perspective to the familiar scripture. Its funny how scripture can do that. His concept and view jumped out to me and kind of smacked me in the face.

He pointed out that God is creative. He is an artist.

He pointed out that In the beginning God made man AND woman because one gender was incapable of adequately representing him.

He pointed out the familiar scripture in Genesis that states that we are made in the image of God.

I am creative. I am an artist. I am a woman. I represent Christ. I am made in the image of God.

"And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze" - Exodus 35:31-32

Since the day I left for college and started attending Winthrop I've listened to the world tell me that I am not good enough. I have listened to them tell me that I am not smart enough. I have listened to people on many occasions try to convince me to change my major.. to change who I am for the sake of "being successful" in life. I watched people casually gloss over the conversation of my major to another topic. I have searched for a way out… a way to appear to have something worth respecting attached to my name and career. I have beat myself up and often whispered my own sets of lies and eventually I started believing them. I have desperately searched for someone or something to tell me that there is worth in being an artist and a photographer whether I choose to shoot weddings or produce work for a gallery, for someone to tell me that I am not wasting my time & money because I want a college degree in Photography.

Somewhere between the lies and the people telling me what I should be doing with my life I started thinking I had failed God's calling on my life.

But I don't have to search.

I am good enough.

I am smart enough.

I have worth.

Because, I am made in the image of Christ.
… and you are too.

It is incredibly easy to lose sight of who we are called to be, who we are capable of being in Christ. The beautiful thing is that I don't have to be anything to receive his grace and love. I just get to receive it. Its an overwhelming concept sometimes because I do not deserve it at all.

What an awesome gift to be able to rest assured that as the worlds standards change and as fads fade God's standards don't.