Your True Image
Stop reading and take a moment right now to find a mirror and look at your reflection. What do you see? What is the image you have of yourself? Take note of the thoughts that pop up. “I am not carrying my weight in the marriage.” “I need to be doing more.” “I’ve gained too much weight over the holidays.” “I’ve eaten to deal with the stress of dealing with my relationships.” If the narrative contains any hint of “not enough” or lack, brings up negative emotions, or has judgment in it, hold up. Where did those come from?
In the classic story of The Ugly Duckling, the young duckling is excluded and put down by those around him, who constantly remind him of his perceived flaws and “ugliness.” Discouraged, the duckling internalizes these harsh judgments, coming to believe the lies about his worth. He sees himself through the distorted lens of others, unable to recognize the true beauty that lies within.
This dynamic mirrors my own experience. Growing up as a pastor’s kid in a large family, my self-worth and identity were tied to “carrying my weight,” (performing and doing). My self-image and false beliefs had been formed by what others said and messages I received. I let other people’s brokenness determine the lens through which I saw myself and lived my life.
Religion had taught me to see God as a type of “Godfather,” who found fault and required that I “do more,” because who I was wasn’t enough.
In my journey into the gospel of the kingdom of God, I’ve come to experience God as a good, kind, loving heavenly Father. He is The Good Father, not the Godfather that religion portrays him as. Religion handed me a broken lens through which I viewed myself, God, and others; yet I’ve come to realize that how I see myself is not how The Good Father (God) sees me.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they began to see both themselves and God through a broken lens. In their minds, they came to perceive themselves as separate from God. They could only see what they were not. This was the lie that the serpent sold them and us.
No longer did Adam and Eve see God as The Good Father, but the Godfather. They turned away from God; however, God never turned away from them. He never saw them any differently. In fact, He pursued them.They saw themselves as ugly ducklings, but the only things God saw were two beautiful swans.
The Garden was where we lost our true image. We lost our identity and nature as being one with the Creator and adopted a broken image of ourselves separate from Him (See 1 Jn. 2:1–2 TMB.)[1]
I was captured with the revelation that the origin of my genesis began in Him and not my mother’s womb. My beginning was and always has been in Him! We as humans are the image and likeness of God displayed in human form (Gen. 1:26 TPT)[2]. This is my true nature. This is my true identity. I was known and loved before the foundation of the world!
Jesus is the image of God in human form, a mirror reflection revealing my true identity and nature. Like the ugly duckling, I was always a swan but just couldn’t see it. God didn’t make a mistake when He made me. He didn’t make a mistake when He made you! (See 2 Cor. 3:16–18 TMB.)[3] Our new birth restores us to who God created us to be. (See John 3:3–8 TMB.)[4]
Just as the duckling’s transformation was not about becoming something new, but rather recognizing what had always been there, our own journey is not about striving to be someone we’re not. It’s about peeling back the layers of self-doubt to uncover the truth of who we are—beloved daughters of The Good Father (God), created in His image, filled with inherent worth and beauty.
As we learn to see ourselves through the lens of His love rather than the distorted lens of religion, we begin to embrace our true identity. We can choose to let go of the lies and limitations that have held us back and step into freedom. Our true identity is not found in works or performance but the simplicity of the love of The Good Father through the finished work of the cross.
[1] Du Toit, Francois. The Mirror Bible. John Beaufoy Publishing, 2012.
[2] Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc.
[3] Ibid. Du Toit.
[4] Ibid.