Better Together

Very Good

The first pages of Scripture ground us in the story God is telling. They paint a picture for us of the kind of world God created and the role human beings are designed to hold in that world. As we reflect on the story of creation, we are struck by something profound: humanity is the masterpiece of God’s work; we are his crown jewel. God uniquely shaped men and women in his image - nothing else in all creation has this elevated place. This wasn’t an afterthought. It wasn’t an accident. It was the culmination of creation itself, and God declared it “very good.”

The account in Genesis reads,

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” (Genesis 1:27, 31)

Let’s pause here for a moment. Men and women - created equal, yet distinct - both bear the image of the Almighty. This means that every person you meet is stamped with divine worth. The way we work, love, and relate to one another reflects a piece of who God is. And when God looked at His work, He didn’t see division or competition. He saw beauty, harmony, and purpose.

In our world, there’s a temptation to pit men and women against each other, to focus on the differences in a way that divides instead of celebrating God’s intentional design. But Scripture invites us to a better story. Together, men and women reflect the fullness of God’s character. Think about it - our relational nature, creativity, strength, and compassion all point back to Him. When God declared His creation “very good,” He affirmed the inherent dignity of both men and women. This truth should shape how we see ourselves and each other. It calls us to live as people who honor one another, championing the worth and value God has given.

We know that when sin entered the picture, it began to destroy God’s good creation, however, God didn’t abandon his image-bearers when sin entered the picture. Through Jesus, He redeems and restores what was broken, inviting us to live into our God-given identity and purpose. So today, let’s embrace the truth that God’s design is good. Let’s treat one another with honor, celebrating the image of God in every person we encounter. And let’s live with confidence, knowing that God’s declaration over His creation—including you and me—is still true: it is “very good.”

Pastor Ryan Paulson

by Ryan Paulson

Together is Better

Then God said, “Let us make man[a] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God, he created him; male and female he created them."
Genesis 1:26-27

President Jimmy Carter is on my mind today as his life was honored today–he was 100 years old and married to his wife Rosalynn for 77 years. He credited his longevity to his happy marriage to the” best spouse.” They took care of each other, loved people, and set an example of service to God and country.

God said, "Let them (both Adam and Eve -- and their descendants) have dominion." God’s plan was always to create “them.” Eve wasn’t an afterthought, she was part of God’s perfect creation plan. In our limited, finite knowledge we can rationalize that Adam needed Eve so he wouldn’t be alone, he needed help, and they needed to be fruitful and multiply. All true, but still they were part of the plan.

They were both created in the image of a triune God. Eve was part of God’s perfect plan just as Adam was and “they” were to have dominion over all of God’s creation. They needed each other and they were given dominion– to take care of and nurture each other and God’s creation. Though they were created in God’s image, they were uniquely designed to accomplish his mission together.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm . . .

“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Jimmy Carter said after his wife’s passing. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.

We were created with the need for each other and community with other believers. Whether married or single, we need other people because we are better together.

Deb Hill
EFCC Staff

by Deb Hill

Imago Dei

Our first grandchild Mason just turned one and he is so much fun! Over Christmas, his dad, our son, pulled ornaments off of the tree and poured through photo albums looking at pictures of himself at the same age. Mason is the spitting image of his dad!

As human beings, we may bear the image of others in the way we look, but as God’s creation, the image that we bear goes far beyond physical appearance. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Both men and women were created in the image of God.

The Latin term for “God Image” is Imago Dei. Our Imago Dei is the core of who we truly are, not just what we look like. It is who God created us to be. We all, male and female, were created as image bearers and simply being image bearers speaks to the deepest longing of our souls. Author Robert Mulholland says, “The image of Christ is the fulfillment of the deepest hungers of the human heart for wholeness…The most profound yearning of the human spirit, which we try to fill with all sorts of inadequate substitutes, is the yearning for our completeness in the image of Christ. The image of Christ brings cleansing, healing, restoration, renewal, transformation and wholeness into the unclean, diseased, broken, imprisoned, dead, incompleteness of our lives. It brings compassion in place of indifference, forgiveness in place of resentment, kindness in place of coldness, openness in place of protective defensiveness or manipulation, a life lived for God and not self.” This is a picture of the Imago Dei.

The longings for wholeness listed above are intrinsic to the deepest desires of the human soul. Whether male or female, we long for wholeness. We each crave kindness and compassion. We hope for cleansing, restoration, and renewal. And we know the power and freedom of forgiveness. These longings may be expressed and pursued differently because God created each individual as precious and unique, but a yearning for wholeness is at the core of every man and every woman. And perfect wholeness can only be seen through Christ.

Who do you believe that God says you are? Some of you may have grown up believing that you were inferior to a more athletic or smarter sibling. Some of you may have grown up being told that you were unwanted or unworthy. Some of you may be handicapped or struggle with a disorder. And some may believe that you are less than because of your gender or race. Regardless of what you have been told, the truth is that your God, your Creator, says that you bear the image of God. You are holy. You are pure. You are created with intentional purpose and you are loved beyond what you can ever imagine. So today, look in the mirror and say to yourself, “I radiate the Imago Dei!”

Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director

by Lynette Fuson