Image

Read: Genesis 1:26-31

Layna held her position as she landed a pirouette, the final move in the dance. She pushed her bellybutton as far back to her spine as she could, gazing at herself in the mirror. Her eyes then followed down the line of girls. She stood a head taller than any of them, and though she tried, she couldn’t get her stomach in far enough.

“Nice job,” said Miss Susan, the instructor at her dance school, when class ended.

Layna shook her head, disagreeing with her teacher.

Miss Susan raised her eyebrows. “What’s wrong? You nailed that turn.”

Layna’s eyes followed the other dancers as they filed out of the studio. She waited until the room had emptied to speak. “I’m the biggest person here, and I’m not even the oldest. I feel so weird, like everyone must be pointing at that big girl and laughing whenever I dance.” Layna studied her reflection some more.

“Layna, you’re a beautiful dancer,” said Miss Susan. “Don’t let anyone speak lies and tell you any different. Besides, I wouldn’t want all my dancers to look the same.”

Layna didn’t answer, but she stopped staring at herself in the mirror to look at Miss Susan.

“Did you know humans are the only ones created in God’s image?” Miss Susan asked. “No animals or even the angels reflect God the way we do. And when God finished creating everything, He saw it was good. Imagine God patting Himself on the back and saying, ‘Wow, look at Layna. I did good!’”

“God thought He had done good by creating me?” Layna asked. She tried to picture God forming Adam out of the dust. “When He made Adam, did He know He’d make me one day too?”

Miss Susan nodded. “Yes, He did. And He loves you, Layna—so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you so you could be saved from sin. And He gave you a wonderful body that can do amazing things—like think and talk and do pirouettes!”

Layna smiled as she picked up her dance bag. God created her, loved her, and sent His Son to die for her. She’d heard the words before, but she had never let them sink in until now.

–Joanna Bair

How about you? Do you ever find yourself staring in the mirror worrying about how you look? Remember that God made all people in His own image—including you! He made each one of us unique and loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us. Instead of comparing yourself to others, remember that you’re created in God’s image and loved by Him, and that makes you truly special.

Today's Key Verse: So God created humans in his own image. He created them to be like himself. Genesis 1:27 (ERV)

Today's Key Thought: You are made in God’s image