Psalms 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.
We are not mass produced out of a mould. We are unique, special and authentic; handmade by the Lord God with His handprint on us. Hence each one of us have a unique DNA. Fingerprints and tongue prints are unique even in identical twins. The Lord God, our “Master Designer”, has woven our internal parts together in our mother’s womb. Our skin colour, hair colour, facial feature, structure and genetics are not randomly selected. They are carefully designed and knitted together by our Heavenly Father. You are not a result of an accident. A pregnancy could be sinful, unplanned, unwanted, unexpected or out of wedlock, yet the design and birth of the baby is still in the image of God. We have been premeditated, planned and planted strategically in the countries and communities according to God’s blueprint. We are not an accident! It was God who picked our skin colour, facial features, height and weight. So, let’s stop complaining and start nurturing Godly characters to exhibit the image of God through our lives. True beauty is our “inner beauty” – it is not our complexion, features or figure.
The nature of God is deposited like a seed in everyone of us. Goodness, kindness, love, compassion, graciousness, mercy, creativity, wisdom and Godliness are like a seed hidden in our heart. When we pursue holiness and righteousness, the seeds of Godliness will germinate, grow and bear goodly fruits.
Three steps to nurture the image of God in us:
1. Germinate: Life is in the seed but until it is planted in good soil it will not germinate. Scientists in Israel have confirmed that an ancient date palm seed retrieved from the rubble of Masada and successfully germinated is about 2,000 years old. Life in the seed will never die but if it is not sowed in good soil and geminated it will never live to bear fruits. Sow truthfulness and reap righteousness.
2. Grow: The soil must be rich, fertile and prolific for the seed to become productive and fruitful. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root (Matthew 13:5-6). A shallow soil is a half-hearted commitment to cultivate the nature, likeness and image of Christ in us. When the desire for Godliness is not deep, the commitment will be frail, fallible and fragile. Grow righteousness and reap Godliness.
3. Greenness: The germinated seedling needs water, sunlight and rich fertilizers to grow and produce abundant fruits. To foster the nature and image of God, we must water our hearts with the Word of God at least twice a day and shine the light of the Holy Spirit over our lives. Godly company and companions are the enriching manure and fertilizers. A good seed planted among thorns will be chocked. Nurture Godliness and reap a rich reward.
We will accomplish our full potential and fulfil our God given purpose only if we nurture the image, nature and likeness of God in us. Let us spend more time in the presence of God rather than before the mirror to mirror the nature of Christ through our lives.
1 Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I commit to sow, germinate, grow and nurture your nature in the soil of my heart. Help me to clean the rubbles of unforgiveness, bitterness and pride to prepare my heart to receive and cultivate your nature, likeness and image in me. Amen
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