2 Corinthians 3:17-18

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Choir director Arianne Abela spent her childhood sitting on her hands-to hid them. Born with fingers missing or fused together on both hands, she also had no left leg and was mission toes on her right foot. A music lover and lyric soprano, she’d planned to major in government at Smith College. Bur one day her choir teacher asked her to conduct the choir, which made her hands quite visible. From that moment, she found her career, going on to conduct church choirs and serving now as director of choirs at another universe. “My teacher saw something in me, ” Abela explains.

Her inspiring story invites believers to ask What does God, our holy Teacher, see in us, regardless of our “limits”? More than anything, He sees HImself. “So God created humans beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 NLT).

As His glorious”Image bearers,” when others see us, we should reflect Him. Abela, that means Jesus, not her hands-or her lack of fingers-matters mores. The same is true for all believers. “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, as being transformed into his image,” says 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Similar to Abela, we can conduct our lives by Christ’s transforming power (V.18), offering a life song that rings out to the honor of God.
-Patricia Rybon

How does knowing you are God’s “Image-bearer” help you to see yourself differently? How does it help you in you interactions with others?

Thank You, God, for making me in Your image. Help me to apply this fact to all of my life.
Amen

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