— by Chris McAlpin

"Then God said, "Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth." Genesis 1:26

Do you see what's happening in this verse? Look again, in case you missed it. God just made the sun, moon, and stars, the Earth, and all of the animals. And He says, let's make a creature in Our image (the image of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to rule on Our behalf. You are created in the powerful image of God. You were made unique and special, with talents and personality that is as unique as your fingerprints. And you were made for a purpose; you have a job to do. God created you in the image of success. 

God's gifts are the best. The Creator of Orion's Belt does not lack anything to give you. When God gifted Abraham land "so that all of the World would be blessed," He gave them the very best. The Promised Land was the pinnacle of the trading routes for Europe, Asia, and Africa; the land was rich, with access to the World's oceans. Why else is this some of the most fought over land on Earth? 

So, what happened? We are not all successful; every one of us fails at least some time. Our sin breaks God's plans. When we act selfishly, seeking success, hope, and joy in anything other than Christ, we fail regardless of the outcome.  "For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator… for this reason God gave them over to degrading passions… God gave them up to a depraved mind…claiming to be wise they became fools…" While you were made for success, you were not made for success without God. Everything you do without Him is fleeting and unfulfilling. Your life is a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow, which would be unbearably depressing if Christ did not step into our lives to redeem us. 

So, what should we do? First, recognize your identity in Christ; in Him is salvation and full life that matters in eternity. Second, know that God created you for Himself, for the very image of success. Realize that you own nothing; God as Creator and King owns it all. Third, live life free, not as a fool chasing something that will never last. Read David's Psalm personally, "Certainly, Your goodness and mercy will follow me all of my life; and I will live in the house of the Lord forever!"

Prayer: Father, help me see that You made me for success in Christ. You made me live free and run hard with You, being successful in this life wherever You put me. Make me know that I cannot do this without You. I was not made for little successes or failures that mean nothing. You created me for Your glory. So, I need Your goodness, mercy, and identity as a member of Your family forever. 

Related articles

——

[ Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash ]