Weekly Thought From Bill - Week of 10-17-10

Hey Friends!  Bill here. 

I love to work on the house and build stuff with my hands.  Not that I’m overly good at it, but it’s rewarding to look at a job when you are done – for some reason, I really enjoy looking back at something and realizing that I helped create that.  It doesn’t even matter how big or small the job is.  Doesn’t matter if it’s something as small as painting a wall or as big as helping build a whole house with Habitat for Humanity.  I love looking back at a job and knowing that I got to help make a dream into a reality.

I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way.  I’ve seen the artwork that some of you have created, and it’s really cool stuff.  Some of you have crazy gifts and you love to draw and paint and edit videos and play music and just make stuff – I think some of you know what I’m talking about. 

Why?  Why do we enjoy spending our free time to make stuff?  Why spend our energy on making things, instead of goofing off or having fun?  Why do we like to put some of ourselves out there for people to critique? 

I think it has something to do with our very natures – the first thing we learn about people is that we are created in the image of God – we are created to look like our creator.  I don’t think that means that we have the same hair color as God or the same height or some other physical characteristics.  I think it’s much deeper than that – to me, it means that at our core, we have a longing to be like God.  

That’s the real core of our identity – we are created by a loving God.  That’s the first thing we ever know about ourselves, and it’s definitely one of the most important. 

This genius theologian named St. Augustine put it this way – “our hearts are restless until they find rest in you”.  We’ve got this imprint from God at the core of our being.

God loves us.   That’s why he made us.  But even better than that, God loved us so much that he created us in his image – He was proud enough of his work that he signed it.  He claimed us as his own. 

Congrats friends – You are made in the image of God.  You are loved by God.  Nothing you did to deserve it.  Nothing you can do about it.  God loves you.

Love you guys. 

Bill