#selfie

By Brent Myers, Pastor of Community Life

Every year, Oxford Dictionaries announces a “Word of the Year”. This is a word or expression that has attracted a great deal of interest throughout that year. This year’s word is: Selfie.

A selfie is a photograph of yourself taken with a mobile phone or other handheld device, and uploaded to social media – Facbook, Instagam, Twtitter, etc.

Personally, I am fascinated with the whole selfie concept. I wonder: do people think so much of themselves that they want others to look at them? Or do they think so little of themselves that they portray an unrealistic image through photos? Or maybe they just do it for fun? Who knows? But what I do know is that the selfie tells others a lot about ourselves.

And probably more than you even realize.

I read this the other day: “We (people) are God’s selfie.” When I first read it, I thought to myself: what a disappointment. But then as I spent more time letting the statement soak in, I began to understand the truth behind it – and the impact it could have on our lives if we began to embrace the whole idea.

We are God’s selfie.

In the Bible we see in Genesis chapter one that God created the heavens and the earth. He created the seas, the animals, and all that we see everyday. “Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us… So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
(Genesis 1:26-27)

That passage also tells us what God thinks of “His selfie”. When God created all of the other things, at the end of the day He said it was ‘good’. When God created humans in His image, He said it was very good.

So here’s the deal: we are God’s selfie.

But what does that mean for us? It means that when you look in the mirror at yourself you should see something different. When you think that you don’t have value as a person you should think again. Because God sees great value in you.

The Apostle Paul write this: “…we are God’s masterpiece…” (Ephesians 2:10) King David wrote a song in which he wrote these words: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13-14)

No matter how breath taking the sunset may be. No matter how majestic the scenery may look. No matter how beautiful the painting appears or how wonderful the symphony sounds. None of it compares to you. Because you are God’s masterpiece.

You are God’s selfie.