September 26, 2011
Self-Image
What do you think of when you hear the word “image?” This was the question posed to about 16 or so teenagers over the course of this past Saturday. I like to give the definition of words that I ask so here is the definition of image according to Merriam-Webster: “an imitation in solid form; a visual representation of something; exact likeness; a person strikingly like another person; a tangible or visible representation.”[1] All of these clearly define what an image is although I would argue that an image is just as much something that is used to misrepresent something else … more on that later.
What about what comes to your mind when you hear “self-image?” Self-image is defined as “one’s conception of oneself or of one’s role.”[2] When speaking about self-image we have to ask ourselves (1) who has helped to shape or define who we are or (2) who has influenced or shaped how we determine our self-worth?
How has your family shaped you? What about your friends? What cliques are you in currently or were in you in school? What groups do you associate with outside your normal daily routine, i.e., school or work? Are you a leader or do you simply follow blindly where you’re led? What about the ever present media? What shows do you watch routinely? To what kinds of music do you listen? What books / magazines are you reading?
In processing all that, the question arises: is it any wonder that we have poor self-images? If we took just a small sample – the years between 10 and 24 – you might be alarmed at the statistics about poor self-image / worth and suicide.
“The Centers for Disease Control report that [suicide] is the third leading cause of death, behind accidents and homicide, of people aged 15-24. Even more disturbing is the fact that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for children between the ages of 10 and 14.”[3]
The reality is that kids face life situations that may exist for a long time but inevitably present themselves through a child’s poor self-image. Without the proper care and “feeding” of a child, low self-worth will be the dysfunction of that child that might possibly lead to destructive and/or self-destructive behavior. Some contributing factors include (but are not limited to): divorce of parents, violence at home, inability to succeed at school, realized feelings of low self-worth, rejection, substance abuse, death of a close relative or friend, or suicide of a friend or someone he or she “knows” online.
Despite never having been a supporter of Hilary Clinton, to some small degree I am in agreement with her that “it takes a village to raise a child.” Having never read her book, I can only assume that her title suggests that we all have a responsibility to ensure the success of our younger and future generations. Having said that, I must say that it is ultimately the responsibility of individual –when that individual becomes capable – to take responsibility for their own actions, thoughts, etc. I think that we, as a nation, have failed our youth by teaching them how to shirk responsibility … how to evade accountability … how to blame others. We have successfully institutionalized entitlement without ethic.
That’s what we have done! We’ve exchanged who and what we’re supposed to be for something else. We’re not who we really should be and it’s because we’ve allowed ourselves to buy into the “image.”
The reality is that we have to go back to where it all began. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness …” (Gen. 1:26). “So God created man in his own image. In the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). We are created in the image of God! That’s huge. The enormity of it all can be overwhelming … no doubt. Being made in the image of God is a huge concept to wrap one’s brain around. Think about it. I’m pretty bold right now in claiming this one:
Some say the universe is the ‘observable universe.’ It’s only what you or I ‘in principle’ could see from earth. Calculated at 14 billion parsecs [whatever that means] which for you guys who don’t have physics degrees is about 45.7 billion light years which for a guy like me means absolutely nothing because it’s so abstract anyway that it seems like conjecture or speculation to begin with … let’s just agree that the universe is HUGE – absolutely huge. The God of the universe is absolutely huge as well. He took the time to make little bitty you and me in his image. I can’t fathom that one but here we are.[4]
So how does a teenager, much less anyone else, wrap their minds around this one? What does the “image of God” really mean? From a Christian standpoint, I believe that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: three incorporated in one. Jesus tells his followers, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind” (Matt. 22:37; cf. Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). Humans are three parts as well: heart, soul, and mind.
Our minds are where we think, process, gain knowledge, and build wisdom. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom …” (Job 28:28; cf. Psa. 111:10; Pro. 1:7; 9:10; 15:33). We begin building our wisdom when we begin to fear the Lord. Fearing the Lord is simply getting to know the Lord in a way where you recognize his absolute authority in your life as well as your absolute dependence upon him. “Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?” (Job 38:36). From the very beginning God puts a desire in us to gain understanding and wisdom. “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens” (Pro. 3:19).
The second part of who we are is soul. The soul is the spirit of man. We’re not just bodies while we’re here. For example, think back to the last funeral you attended. You saw the body of the individual you once knew but the spirit of that person – the soul that person who he or she was – was no longer with the body. The Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh …” (Gen. 6:3). It’s interesting to me that we do all kinds of things with our vessels – to honor and dishonor – God still looks to our spirits. “All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit” (Pro. 16:2).
Finally, we address the heart. We can look at this in two ways: the physical and the attitude, the second being the spirit with which we approach life. In all cases, God looks at the attitude of our hearts. “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Gen. 6:5-6). Grieved God to his heart? Absolutely the Creator cares about his creation. There should be no question about that fact. In regards to self-image, we must protect our hearts from anything and everything that is false or tries to steer us in the wrong direction. Sin, imperfection, and indifference are not God’s will.
I address the heart, soul, and mind rather vaguely but the point I’m trying to get you to understand is that because we are made in the image of God we must protect the most basic parts of who we are. If our foundation is correct then we can build something beautiful. If it is not correct then we need to renovate. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you …” (Jer. 1:5). God knows his images. He knows us! His will is to conform us into “the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom. 8:29).
Imagine that: God is conforming / developing us into the image of the one and only son that He gave as the ultimate and complete sacrifice to atone for our sins (John 3:16). Now think about this: “[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Col. 1:15). A + B = C, right? God, through conforming us into the image of Jesus, is thus conforming us into the image of himself! That’s awesome!!!! No, we are not gods but God is conforming us into his image through Jesus. Talk about having something to be self-assured about now!
Remember this: “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:4-5).
[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/image accessed September 22, 2011.
[2] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-image?show=0&t=1316697859 accessed September 22, 2011.
[3] http://www.teensuicidestatistics.com accessed September 22, 2011.
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observable_universe accessed September 22, 2011.
