Be responsible for your people; don't be responsible for your people / 4

How and why did God create us?
God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him.And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory. (Genesis 1:27) (from here)


Creator God, you knit me together, from sperm and egg you made me, a new person in the world! And you have repeated this miracle more times over than can be counted. You did it even more strangely with Adam and Eve. You made us, you made each of us, because you wanted to and you could.

You made us different to plants and animals - we have the honour of being made in your image. We are not you - even in that brief time of purity, we were not you - but we are like you. We were more like you then, but we are still like you now, though without Christ every beauteous, godly part of us is battered and perversely thred. But in Christ, we become part of his perfect humanity. Because we are in him, you look at us and see one whose every action and thought was true to you.

Change our hearts, Lord, so we become more like that in our selves; so our lives shout great things about you; so people look at us and say we've "got something special going on, something spiritual"; so our big-heartedness and uprightness tell of your beauty and justice. Let us do this as husbands and wives, daughters and fathers, as brothers and sisters in you, because this is how you made us. We reflect your glory as together we live out this life.

Thank you for the honour of being made like you and being given the privilege of representing you, that through our small lives your Name might be glorified. We are ambassadors of a perfect Prime Minister, princes of a perfect King, executives of a perfect CEO, head teachers of a perfect Principal. These examples are strange because we do not experience perfect authority in our life, but we can imagine. May we delight to use the talents, strengths, opportunities and riches you give us to serve you and show your greatness. May this be everything to us. May you be our King. Help us to help one another do this better. Help us to help each other lift our eyes to you, marvel in you, and give our lives to you, our great and gracious King.