I Choose Today to Remember I Am an Image Bearer

This reflection comes from Episode 48 of the I Choose Today Podcast, where we continue our Identity series by returning to one of the most foundational truths about who we are.

Genesis tells us that humanity was created in the image of God. And after creating humanity, God looked at what He had made and called it very good.

Think about that for a moment.

Before you ever had a résumé.
Before you ever had a reputation.
Before anyone ever criticized you.
Before anyone ever praised you.

God had already spoken something over humanity: very good.

Not because of accomplishment.
Not because of perfection.
But because we bore His image.

In the beginning, Eden was a place where heaven and earth overlapped. God walked with His image bearers. Humanity was created to reflect Him, to reflect His goodness, His character, and His presence into the world.

But then doubt entered the story.

The serpent didn’t say humanity wasn’t made in God’s image. Instead, he planted doubt about God’s goodness and trustworthiness. And when doubt enters, something subtle shifts.

Instead of naturally reflecting God outward, we begin guarding ourselves inward. The mirror that was meant to reflect Him outward becomes turned toward ourselves. It grows cloudy with insecurity, fear, comparison, and self-protection.

The image wasn’t erased.

It was distorted.

And that distortion can show up in ways we don’t always recognize.

There was a time in my life when someone pointed out something about me that I had never really noticed before. During a conversation with my work mentor, he told me that I was one of the most self-deprecating people he knew. I was constantly downplaying my strengths and minimizing my worth.

At first, I thought I was simply being humble.

But over time, I realized something deeper was happening. I wasn’t just being modest, I was disagreeing with my Creator.

If God says humanity is made in His image, and if He looks at His creation and calls it very good, who am I to belittle what He formed?

Self-deprecation can feel spiritual. It can sound like humility. But often it’s simply a distorted mirror speaking louder than God’s declaration.

True humility agrees with God.

And God says we bear His image.

Scripture reminds us in 1 John that “God is greater than our worried hearts.” Our inner voice can sometimes be harsh, critical, and full of comparison. But God knows what He created. He knows the dignity He placed inside every human life.

Being made in His image means our worth was established long before our performance.

It also means something else.

Every person we encounter bears that same image.

Even when the reflection is clouded by pain, sin, or brokenness, the image is still there. When we begin to see people that way, it changes how we interact with them. It changes how we speak, how we respond, and how we love.

Sacred things are handled with care.

And human beings are sacred because they carry the image of God.

Colossians tells us that Jesus is the perfect image of the invisible God. Where our reflection has been distorted, Jesus shows us the fullness of what God is like. And through Him, that reflection begins to be restored.

Second Corinthians tells us that as we behold Him, we are being transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another.

Jesus doesn’t shame the smudges on the mirror.

He restores the reflection.

When we begin to remember that we are image bearers, something shifts inside us. Self-hatred begins to loosen its grip. Comparison grows quieter. And we begin to see ourselves and others through the lens of sacred dignity.

You are not a mistake.
You are not an afterthought.
You were created to reflect the character of a good God.

The image may have been distorted, but it has not been erased.

And through Christ, it is being restored.

So today, remember who you are.

You are an image bearer.