“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.”

Trusting in ourselves can be a tricky thought. A strong self-image can be delusional. Understanding who God is—and who we are in light of that understanding—is what we need to pursue. A strong God-image should be our ultimate goal. It is not that a good self-image, based on our understanding of God and His role and call on our lives, is wrong; it is what we truly want and need. However, a self-image without a proper understanding of God is phony and dangerous. When we trust in ourselves, we can begin to become our own idol—dare I say, god. When Jesus came to earth, He brought with Him an understanding of His role in the Triune God. He told us that He represented His Father. He made it clear that to truly know Him was to know the Father. He spoke of us finding our value in a right relationship with Him. It is a powerful gift to learn and live as a child of the King and Creator of the universe. When we recognize that our lives—everything we do—are intended to reflect Him, we begin to shine a light not on ourselves and our skills, but on Him as the author of everything good about us. That infant in the manger was born to show us both the Father and the way to Him. Our lives are meant to do the same. The followers of Jesus became known as Christians in Antioch because, as others observed them, they saw replications of the Christ. Today, forget about your image and seek to reflect your heavenly Father. #BeTheEdge

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” —Jesus