Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
The great preacher and author A. W. Tozer wrote, “When God made the human soul in His own image, He did so that we might act according to that Divine nature.” Only humans are created according to God’s own image. Neither angels nor animals can claim that distinction. Part of bearing God’s image means we have the sovereign ability to make choices.
In Deuteronomy 30:19-20, God spoke through Moses to the children of Israel, saying, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.”
We all have been given the agency and capacity to choose many different things in our lives. For instance, we can choose to either go to the mountains or the beach. We choose what we want for lunch, whether that be a hot dog or a hamburger. But we can also make moral choices that will lead to life or death, good or evil, blessing or cursing. Therefore, we are not preprogrammed or doomed to a particular fate because God has built us with the ability to make choices. Why is that important? Because God created us with personhood and personality so that we can relate to Him, and He to us, unlike anything else He created. That’s how precious we are in His sight.
So the question remains, what will you do with the ability to choose that God has placed inside you? I encourage you today to make God-honoring choices that lead to blessing and goodness. Choose life!
