A few years back, our congregation started a backpack giveaway for the students in the Howe community. I have been the person who organizes this event, and consequently, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the school supply aisle at our local Walmart. Last year, while gathering supplies, I made a new friend. She is a longtime employee of Walmart and has proven to be extremely kind, helpful, and generous. She even gave up some of her time off to help me and donated supplies she had purchased to go toward this outreach. I’m so thankful for this new friend.

On one of my trips to the store back in August, my friend shared with me that, within her group of coworkers, she had been given the assignment of listing five things she loved about herself—and that she was having trouble coming up with even one.   As you might imagine, I was completely heartbroken by her statement. I immediately began telling her that I already knew of things she should love about herself, and I didn’t even know her very well. I told her, “You are helpful, you are kind, you even gave up a day off to help me—which means you put others ahead of yourself!   You have many qualities that you should love!”

The next time I saw her, I made it a priority to share Genesis 1:27 with her: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Just stop and ponder that statement for a moment. YOU are made in the very image or likeness of God. This is something very special that my new friend should love about herself—and that each one of us should love about ourselves and others! Not only that, but we have been created to fulfill a great purpose on earth. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Walking in good works is how we look like Jesus. When we fulfill our purpose by reflecting His qualities, this gives us even more reason to love ourselves. Not that we should boast in them, but we should love that we can be light to a dark world by bearing the image of God.

I challenge you today to love God’s image that is inside of you and to love the qualities through which you reflect His goodness. There is SO MUCH to love about YOU!

- Dana Alsbrook