In God’s Image Larry Alverio
Mankind is created in the image of God. In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let us make man in our image.” God does everything with a purpose.There is a purpose in human life. The simple question one may ask is, why? Why is life so complex? Imagine, billions of people have gone to their graves not realizing the purpose of their lives. A famous quote from an Oscar winning movie records, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” In reality, our life is like a puzzle that needs to be put together! This concept is demonstrated in I Thess 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you com - pletely and may your whole spirit, soul (life), and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jigsaw puzzles are made up of many pieces. It is only when the pieces are put together that we begin to see the whole picture. Our life is very similar. Our lives are made up of many complex components such as family, job, physical health, past experiences, emotions, and— most importantly our relationship with God. God has designed us to be whole and complete to have that interconnection with Him. Paul was addressing a very important issue in I Thess 5. He was instructing the brethren to draw closer to God. He wanted them to see the whole picture of the puzzle—every part, spirit, life and body. Paul wanted them to become complete in all parts and preserved blameless! Likewise for us whom God has called, He has opened our minds to see the complete picture. God is putting our pieces together and the parts that don’t fit proper - ly He reshapes through trials. We must look to God to make us complete. We must ask God to help pull the pieces of our life together according to His design. As we keep God at the center of our lives, we begin to see more clearly the purpose and direction of our own.
suggestions to get us started: ●What verses comfort us when we’re down? ●What verses inspire us? ●Do we know which verses turn to in the Bible to prove all the doctrines that we believe? How about the Prom - ises of God? ●Verses that remind us of specific areas for personal growth? ●The long version of the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20? There are about 31,000 verses in the Bi ble providing many good options for us to choose from. Consider memorizing scripture as an important tool to help you better meditate on God’s word and turn His thoughts into your thoughts. As we approach the end of this age and reflect on how we have spent our years, we are likely to regret time wasted on worthless pursuits. But we will never regret one moment of time memorizing God’s word and hiding it in our hearts.
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