Genesis 1:27 Archives – Facets of Faith

Hello, friend, we’re so glad you’re here! If you drop in faithfully, we are thankful. If you’re new, welcome! The Facets team select a topic each month and explore it from our individual perspectives. We love to invite guests to share, too. This month we’re wondering what it means to be a woman of God. Tracy shared here last week, Kim is up next week, and we are excited to introduce a lovely new friend the fourth week of the month. Join us on Tuesdays when new posts go live. We hope you’ll enjoy!

When I (Jennifer) began the dive into what it means to be a woman of God, I wondered what I could possibly say. I considered the culture I live in, the polarization “Christian” values cause when they include more of what a Christian woman is against than what she is for. In a culture of superhero fanaticism, women tend to want to be Wonder Woman or at least land squarely in a successful position in the home, the marketplace, and in society at large. The conversation about these things is full of “fightin’ words.” (That makes me sad.) Who is this woman of God?

When the topic is broached with some, one of a few things happens:

“It’s all about the Proverbs 31 woman—she’s crazy-busy,” one quips.
“A submissive spirit—she’s totally got to have a submissive spirit,” another suggests.
“Don’t forget Titus 2—the godly woman shares wisdom,” a mature woman reminds us.
“She’s a stay-at-home mom and homeschools, obviously,” someone says.

Ask another group how a woman of God appears, and strong (sometimes negative) words surface.

“Women can not only run a household, they can run the world!”
“Submission is archaic. Don’t you dare say the S-word!” has an edgy tone.
“Women should never leave their dreams and education in the dust!”
“Women should be able to do everything in the church.”

Who is She?
The views above represent competing slants from differing perspectives. There’s nothing wrong with different views, but acknowledge they originate somewhere. The question is—where do they come from? To identify a woman of God, I start with God, the Creator of the woman, and highlight traits specific to the created woman who aligns herself with her Creator. Her identity and lifestyle are colored by choosing and committing to a relationship with God.

Created by God
This woman (actually every one of us, male and female) has been created by God. Life never accidentally appears and thrives.

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 ESV

The Creator, the Designer of the universe and everything in it, has her individual biology, purpose, and personality in mind. I imagine an artist taking every color and brushstroke into account: hair and eye colors, skin tone, and height. Will silver glitter and diamonds make this one smile, or will pink ribbons and bows bring joy? Will deep thoughts and logic ignite this one, or will boisterous conversations fill her up? Is she a performer, a watcher, a writer, a reader? The details matter because she is precious; she is His masterpiece and made in His image.

That she is created by God is not in question. Whether she will choose Him, that’s the unknown—for us, not for the God who loves His creations and also knows all things.

Loving God and Others
The woman of God makes one choice starkly contrasting other women’s choices: she chooses God. Being created by God reveals the Creator’s fingerprints in some way, but choosing to love Him is entirely different. A woman of God wants to know the mind, heart, and ways of God—not merely as an intellectual endeavor but as a lifestyle to honor the One she loves.

When she comes across a command from God, she doesn’t just consent with a head nod; she puts forth the effort to hear and do the thing.

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27 ESV

…those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 1 John 2:5,6 NLT

Loving God yields a life others can identify as reflecting the truth, love, and power of God. It also reveals a heart that loves others well, whether they are followers of God or not. The woman of God loves “enemies” well.

Serving God and Others
Serving God is where the rubber meets the road in the Christian life. We begin to know the heart, mind, will, and ways of God on Bible pages, but it’s more than an academic exercise.

So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. James 1:21-23 NLT

The woman of God is careful to read the truth of God, hiding it in her heart so it transforms her deeply and permanently (Psalm 119:11). She won’t attain perfection this side of eternity, and she knows it. It’s sobering, but she balances it with this—

For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands 1 Peter 3:5 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 ESV

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 ESV

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12 ESV

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13 ESV

Yes, the S-word is up there. It’s from love and honor, not a shameful position. She is beautiful because she loves God and, therefore, loves others. When the woman of God knows the love of God, she lavishes that on others.

I won’t lie. Loving God can feel like a thing I should muster and keep, but the real deal is different. I can’t manage heart transformation; it’s not a behavioral management thing. (I tried.) The woman of God I genuinely want to be is formed by the hand and heart of God. It starts with my created physical being, but new life becomes real in my spiritual being—by first identifying with Jesus’ suffering on the cross and then knowing and doing what the Word of God says. I’m definitely a work in progress, friend!

A Woman of the Word
The woman of God is a woman of the Word—the Word she has read and knows—not what she thinks it says or what others say it says. That takes time. Reading and studying the Bible (two very different things) change the mind and heart, and receiving the Word saves the soul (James 1:21).

Now the question is—who wants to be a woman of God? (I’m the little woman raising her hand and jumping up and down in four-inch heels.) We don’t come to our Daddy-God cleaned up and ready to go. We come as we are and ask Jesus to cover us and the Spirit to completely change us.

Beautiful friend, each of us is a masterpiece. Can you identify the beautiful, golden God threads woven throughout your identity? Count them. There may be more than you thought.

Do you want to be a woman of God or are you on the road? What does that mean to you now? What is your first step or your next step?

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic in the comments below or at our Facebook page. If you think someone you know could benefit from reading the Facets blog, please share!

I (Jennifer) was hesitant to write June’s post when the topic was selected, if I can be completely transparent. My first concern was which person I would choose to write about. After some team brainstorming, I realized I had an opportunity to reflect on how far I’d come in my thinking. The question caused me to wrestle with the process of an interpersonal perspective shift, and I’m grateful to have worked through it far enough to share some ideas.

I have the chance to do slices of life with all kinds of characters. Some are genuinely kind, making for sweet memories. Some people are rough and raw. A good number are aggravating or irritating. A handful are uniquely troublesome. I love my favorites, but this post wants to be about the difficult relationships, the people who have done real damage in some cases.

How does God change our perspective about someone else? Simply put, this will take time. We need to pause. Sometimes for a long while. More than once.

For me, it all began with a sentence—

So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. Genesis 1:27 CSB

These words made perfect sense in the context of two people created at the beginning of humanity’s timeline. I found it easy to imagine my favorite friends conceived in the mind of God and carefully designed by his hands. But those other people, what about them? Sometimes it felt nearly impossible to view them positively. Admittedly, it’s a challenge, but here’s what I’ve learned about the process of the interpersonal perspective shift.

Last month I saw the Vincent van Gogh Bedrooms exhibit in Chicago with friends. (Two things I love: girl time and creative arts!) Vincent—troubled soul that he was—is one of my favorite artists. His use of color and bold brush strokes captivate me. I giggle at his thick paint layers, thinking he really could have used a friend to help him in the resource management department. But that was his signature style. I’m drawn to his wiggly strokes and recognize his artwork simply by the strokes and his creative vision.

Bear with me. Comparing Vincent to the Creator of the universe has problems, but I couldn’t help it. The connection seemed natural.

The Creator’s artwork includes everything from atoms and molecules to black holes. Somewhere in the middle is each one of us. We are the canvases displaying intentional brush strokes and unique image composition. The Creator embeds significant purpose in each masterpiece—creating a special vision for each one.

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:11

Each one of us was conceived in the mind of God with significant purpose, and our lives are intricately woven into a plan every step of the way. All of who we are displays the power of the Artist who created us.

That said, the beauty of the masterpiece has been marred by exposure to the world we live in. This world is not a perfect place, and it has left marks on each one of us in different ways.

Imagine a vandal managed to sneak into Vincent’s Bedrooms exhibit. Somehow the guards misread the intentions of the guest’s close examination and slow pauses. The hand that seemed to be digging for a sketch pad actually grabbed a can of fire engine red spray paint! Security sprang to action, but they were too late. Vincent’s blues, greens, browns, and yellows were completely obscured beneath a layer of red. What a shame! (And what a long time the vandal will spend in a small bedroom with a locked door!)

So, what’s the outcome of the vandalized Vincent? There is an authentic masterpiece painted by my favorite artist, but the only thing resembling it’s original state is the relief of the brush strokes. We might be horrified at the thought of the vandalism on Vincent’s work, but it’s not different than the Creator’s masterpieces in this world.

When I thought about the difficult characters in my life, I was reminded that they were masterpieces straight from the studio of God. That was an important first step!

“Wait! This person behaved badly, and I got caught in the crossfire. You don’t know what this person did to me!” you say.

Yes, a lot of people walk around free, seemingly without consequences.

I found a second step was necessary. For just a few minutes, I tried to withhold emotions and judgment. I just looked at the masterpiece, hoping to catch a glimpse of the brushstrokes that lay beneath the thick layer of damage to it. I wrote “Vision” and “Vandalized” at the head of two columns. When I looked at any person in my life, I hunted for qualities in them that were part of the Creator’s master work.

For one person, I listed the vision of who they were intended to be:

Intelligent

Hard-working

Conscientious buyer

Generous with gifts

The list was difficult at first because I focused on the warped version of good things: intelligence used to embarrass or shame others, an excellent work ethic shaping a workaholic, or the purchase process becoming all-consuming and leading to greed, obsession, or “champagne tastes on a soda pop paycheck.” That’s what happens when good things are misused, or when we won’t submit to biblical wisdom or the leading of the Holy Spirit. Vandalism.

Can you find the beautiful, unique brush strokes hiding beneath the thoughts, words, or actions reflecting life experience that changed everything, and not necessarily for the good? Take some time, and you’ll see it can be done. The difficult character in your life has qualities placed in them by God.

Do you know what happens when you begin to see the vision beneath the vandalism? You begin to think about the real person under there, the masterpiece that has been through marring, scarring experiences. Suddenly, God can change your perspective on someone else. When your perspective changes, maybe the relationship can, too.

Thanks for reading. Give this process a shot. See what happens when you begin to make Vision and Vandalism lists. If you do, let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear about your process!

Scripture sourced from biblestudytools.com (Crosswalk.com)

The Woman of God: Who is She?

The Interpersonal Perspective Shift