11 aspects of being made in the image of God

Here are 11 things the early chapters of the Bible say about being made in the image of God. they all depend on God being prior, above and qualitatively different. THE primary distinction is that he is Creator and this is his creation in which we are his creatures. we are by God, for God and in the image of God. This fundamental separation is the ground of all Christian understanding of identity, meaning and morality

• Twofold variety, a community of love. In his image God created a BINITY, reflecting the Trinity, unlike the teeming animals

• Speaking. God speaks, calls, self-discloses. So do they

• Rule as vice-regents under God

• Creativity / separating / taxonomy. God makes things by kinds and calls them and separates them. He invites Adam to name things, thus doing the kind of things God does, as a child with their parent

• Walking with God

• Dependency on God rather than autonomy from him. Being God-centred

• Work. God works, he gives us work

• Innocence

• Honour

• Beauty

• Poetry / speaking exultant words

There are plenty of things that being made in the image of God is not. Theologians like to talk about God’s “incommunicable attributes” - things he does not give to others. We are called to be like him in his holiness but not in his omniscience, for example. Four things that are clear at the start of Genesis that being made in him image does not mean:

• Moral equivalence to God or being moral agents independent of him

• The right to be arbiters of good and evil

• The right to be God. The great twisting of Satan was to take being made in the image of God and use it to tempt to want to grasp godhood

• That we are just like the other creatures

Notes for mentoring someone in Christian work

Anyone who does something a lot internalises the processes that stand behind their actions. They act by instinct and long-learned habit and its important that they do. If I need urgent, life-saving medical help I don’t want the doctor to have to stop to consult the manual

Sometimes, however, there are helpful reasons to stop and consider our habitual practice. Two spring to mind: first to see if, on reflection, there are ways to improve and, second, in order to be able to teach others how to do what we do instinctively

One of the things I get to do a lot of is mentor people in Christian work. I know what to do instinctively through long practice. But the other day, as part of reorganising some documents I thought it would be a good idea to joy a quick proforma down to bring a bit more structure to my mentoring notes and then thought that someone else might find it helpful.
Good note-taking in order to be able to encourage a person further on down the line is simply part of honouring and loving them well

You can find the document here

A few points to bear in mind:

• It is very much “notes to self” rather than a professional proforma. There are probably such things available that will help you do a better job than this but I haven’t looked hard

• This is to help me mentor someone. That is, to help them reflect on their life and practise of ministry

• The exploratory questions are not the be all and end all, just a few categories to help prod a conversation along

• It is not the same as the notes I would make when discipling or coaching someone