Active Theology

“So God created man in his own image,
   in the image of God he created him;
   male and female he created them.

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:27, 31)

If you Google search, “what are the odds that I’m alive?” you’ll find that the probability of you existing at all comes out to an unfathomable number…10 followed by 2,685,000 zeroes. When you factor in other statistics such as your parents meeting (1 in 20,000) and staying together long enough to have you (1 in 2,000), the odds keep stacking up against us. As Dr. Ali Binazir puts it, “the odds that you exist at all are basically zero”. 

These stats are startling and send my mind into a tailspin. But the tailspin stops when I read Genesis 1. While these numbers make human existence feel like a random event, Scripture tells me that my life was uniquely crafted and formed by God.

If you read through Genesis 1 and the days of creation you will notice a pattern: God creates something out of nothing, then calls it ‘good’, God creates something out of nothing, then calls it ‘good’…This pattern continues throughout the chapter until you get to God’s final act – the creation of humanity. 

All of a sudden the pattern is broken as God “created man in his own image” and then it goes on to say that “…God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good”. (Gen. 1:27a, 31)

In an instant, humanity is set apart from the rest of creation. God gives us a higher status. People are given a purpose and role on earth. We are declared from the beginning to be ‘very good’. 

I find it easy to forget this sometimes. I easily focus on the brokenness and sin in my life. I see the effects of sin and the grip it has on others. 

It’s true. The Fall has caused sin to enter our world and we deal with the repercussions on a daily basis. But we still carry the title of being ‘very good’. We are still created in God’s image.

Your existence is not unique simply because of the odds, but because God made you ‘very good’. Further, God was at work creating every detail of who you are. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13) 

While we look forward to the day of Jesus’ return and when everything will be made new (and we get back to the original ‘very good’ state), we must remember that even the mundane actions in life are miraculous because your life has been personally and lovingly crafted by the Creator, God himself.

Pray: God, You know every detail of who I am. Help me to see that my life is precious, valuable, and uniquely created by You. I pray that I would use my life to glorify You and show others Your goodness. 

Song: “Give Me You” by Jon Guerra and Andrew Belle

Craig is a worship pastor at Wallula Christian Church and the creator of Active Theology. He loves coffee dates with his wife, reading, and riding his bike. A few of his favorite things are third wave coffee, vanilla ice cream, and plain t-shirts.