DO WE HAVE THE EYES TO SEE - PART 4a

It’s great to be back!  After several months of absence I would like to continue and conclude my series on a biblical perspective on resources.  This is the final section of this series.  If you are just joining me now, take a moment to read the first 3 sections of this series (Do We Have the Eyes to See, parts 1-3) to become updated on our discussion.  Much of what I will write about in this final segment will build off of the foundation presented in the first 3 parts. 

As detailed in earlier posts I believe that man has been created with a wealth of potential.  Potential that when tapped into properly can be used to develop our individual futures as well as our families, communities and nation’s future.  Men and women, created in the image of God, are the preeminent most effective resources on the face of this planet.  My desire in these entries is to effectively communicate why this truth should be foundational to our poverty alleviation and development strategies.  I will break this final blog segment into 3 different entries.    

As I seek to unpack this principle I will address in each entry one of these three specific questions.
1. What does it mean to be made in the image of God?
2. What inherent resources do humans have?
3. How should these concepts frame our biblical perspective on resources?

MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD?

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” 

Genesis 1:26

“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

What does it mean to be made in the image of God?  Whether we realize it or not, this simple declaration made by God in the early chapters of Genesis is a revolutionizing pronouncement.  This concept in and of itself should be a fundamental root that establishes our beliefs, values, actions and behaviors, and should deeply impact our social, political and religious thinking.  To truly comprehend what it means to be human we must grasp imago Dei the image of God in man. 

Man has been endowed with several characteristics that highlight this uniqueness.  Animals and the rest of creation on the other hand, though brilliantly and beautifully made, have not been made in God’s image.  This special attribute has been reserved for God’s crown jewel of creation; man and woman.  Listed below are a few of these distinctive human traits. 

Thank you to the following article for providing much of the information below. Source:  http://www.sbclife.org/Articles/2009/10/sla6.asp  

Spiritual Beings:

Human beings are not merely material beings.  When God created the first man He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Gen 2:7) making man a living soul and giving to him a spiritual life.   We exist currently as body and soul together. It is meaningless to talk of us as just a soul or just a body when we are alive on earth. Both are intricately intertwined to make you the person you are. 

-On the opposite spectrum, take a lobster for example.  When a lobster is caught in a trap and boiled for stew it does not have a spirit that lives on.  It’s simply dead.  A lobster is a physical material animal creation that lacks a soul.   

Moral Beings:

God is holy.  He created humanity with a moral compass, a conscience that gives each of us an inner sense of the difference between right and wrong.  Though deadened by sin, that conscience remains hardwired in man.

- Our family used to have a cat named Harvey who would come home most days in the summer with mice, chipmunks, snakes or birds.  Harvey did not have a conscience about killing rodents; it was merely his animal instincts with no guilt attached.  For Harvey there was no judgment of right or wrong through the evaluation of consequences and affects, he just did what he was created to do. 

Relational Beings:

Man has not been made for isolated individualism.  The image of God is reflected in how we relate to others in fellowship (marriage, family, work and the church) the great commandment (love your neighbor) and even the great commission (make disciples of all nations). 

Rational Beings:

God is a God of knowledge.  While our knowledge is limited, God created us with the capacity to think, to learn and to know.  Our minds are a vital part of how we are to know God (Matt. 22:37).  We are to cultivate our minds (Eph. 4:23) and to renew our minds for transformation (Rom. 12:2). 

- Again, let’s contrast this concept with an example from the animal kingdom.  Take a turkey for example: (Turkey’s are pretty dumb animals.)  Some turkeys have been known to stare straight up into the sky when it is raining to get a drink and subsequently drown themselves.  Definitely lacking in rational thinking.  Yes, some humans have done some pretty brainless things but we should know better.  At least the turkey has an excuse. 

Creative Beings:

God is the Creator.  Built within man is an intrinsic desire to create (music, art, engineering, landscaping, or writing).  While our creativity is different from God’s, who created everything out of nothing, we unmistakably have a creating responsibility. 

“Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.  Rule over the fish of the sea the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

            Genesis 1:26

God has given man a command to create.  Develop the social world!  (Build families, churches, schools, cities and governments.)  Harness the natural world! (Plant crops, build bridges, design iPod’s, and carve sculptures) Our purpose is to build cultures and create civilizations… and glorify God in the process.  After all, we have been made in His image.

Though the image of God in man has been marred and ruptured through the sinful nature of mankind, we still mustn’t forget that all people, no matter the age, race or physical capacity has been made in His Likeness and for His glory. 

So you may ask, why is it important to understand the phrase made in the image of God when discussing the biblical perspective on resources?  In a culture that continually diminishes the value of man (the result of a random evolutionary process), it is crucial to realign our beliefs in order to restore a biblical perspective on life.  Though we live in a world continually subjugated and run by secular ideas and philosophies we must not lose track of the vision and purpose for which we were created.  Humanity in all aspects (white, black, male, female, every ethnic group in every culture) is of immeasurable value, made with incalculable potential that could and should be stewarded to develop and expand God’s name throughout the world.   

Imago Dei.  A powerful attribute ascribed to man and a mighty promise made to mankind.  Furthermore, understanding imago Dei in all its dimensions is the first critical step to comprehending development from a biblical basis. 

In the next entry we will build off of this understanding and highlight the many extraordinary resources that are within our grasp.  The question addressed will be:

What inherent resources do humans have?