We as people carry images in our minds. Many of these images are influenced by factors outside us. Once I stood in a chamber in an amusement park which comprised mirrors of various designs on its walls. These mirrors reflected on me my own picture in a great variety of amusing shapes. We laughed as we saw each other in unimaginable length, breadth and slenderness. However, we also knew that none of these images were the real person, who we actually were. Thank God, in a little while we were out of the chamber and did not even consider making our residence in a chamber like that. However, spiritually speaking we live in a world which is bombarded by similar images in people’s minds. In the Bible, prophet Ezekiel was led by the Holy Spirit into an inner chamber between the walls within the temple, where the prophet saw the elders of the people bowing before many false images which were not supposed to legitimately be in that place. Our world and often our minds tend to be intruded by similar distortions. It is unfortunate how often a believer can get caught in such a contradicting battle of images in his own mind. Here are some of the images we see in the emotional and spiritual realm. First, image the man received was from his Creator Himself. It is the most bonafide of all, in which he was expected to dwell upon. In Genesis 1:26, the Bible informs that God created man in His own image and likeness. Man was created as crown of God’s creation, to rule, to create, to design, to protect, to have meaningful relationships, to know God and to worship Him. He was called good. He was not designed to live in guilt, shame, fear, rebellion, sin, revenge, reaction and such. Even though man failed in the garden of Eden, God did not ever take this image back from man. He still has those capacities. He can still exercise his free will and live victoriously. However, in the garden of Eden, was introduced another image in man. Satan suggested, “You will become like god.” Actually Bible tells us in Isaiah 14, that it was the good old devil who originally had that desire. “I will be like the Most High.” By receiving his suggestion, man forever succumbed to this false concept of himself. He was created to live a blessed life under the submission of the Sovereign One. But now, and for centuries man has tried to live his life like demi-god, a life of independence, wanting to be in control of things. It has frustrated him. The joy so easily vaporizes. Yet he needs to have his own wishes met. He has in him an image – the image of sinful and the evil one. Not much afterwards, man found another pursuit. He started making God in his own image. A. W. Tozer once said that man and his society can never rise above their concept of God. In the world of man made religions, philosophies, idols and concepts of God, man has also lost meaning and purpose. I like challenging my listeners often with questions like this, “How big is your God?” or “What’s the size of the box in which you tend to fit God?” In Isaiah 55:8-9, God challenged man’s idea by informing, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,  So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Life is challenging for a believer if makes a habit of living in such distorted image. His self efforts to be good and godly often frustrate him. His attempt to religiously define and follow God takes his joy away. In a life of that kind one is always evaluating, judging and striving. But God has answered man’s image problems with another image. Apostle Paul describes God’s work in a believer’s life in these terms. In Romans 8:30, he guarantees us that we are being conformed to the image of Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a glorious reality of the life of a person who has been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. His burden is light and yoke is easy. All he needs to do in his life is to learn to behold the glory (nature) of God in the face of Christ as in a mirror (2 Corinthians 3:18), and he finds a new image. He grows from glory to glory. He no more hears the voice of condemnation or self determination. He hears with clarity how God thinks of him. Instead of withdrawing from the presence of God into religious activities, he should learn that God loves him as he is. The battle is already won in God’s mind. He is never to be separated from the love of God. He should recognize that any ideas which mar his image enough to make him run from the presence of God, are being drawn from the false images in the chambers of imagery of his fallen mind. The man with the marred face (Isaiah 52:14), Jesus Christ on the Cross has loved us enough. He took our image upon Himself. The Glorious One became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), the Beautiful One became uncomely that we may become His righteousness. He entered the chambers of imagery and has spoken clearly. May we hear it as clearly as He has said it, “The King’s Daughter is all glorious within.” “Your are black, but comely.” O thou believer, hear that voice, be drawn to Him, face Him as you are, let His light shine upon you, until you can see the image of Christ in you. If your life seems marred with marks of sins, remember it is not in your acts that you will find His image within you but it is in being face to face with Him beholding in His mirror. More you want to run far, more you need to be before Him. Stop trying, just behold and hear. He is in us, we in Him. Just stare at Him long enough, you will know when the image of Christ starts rising within you, by the hunger and joy you will experience in His presence. It will not matter any more what the other voices may be suggesting. What an intercourse of Glory! PS - If you would like to enjoy a thought provoking spirituality quiz, then jump to our fun quiz page. You may also watch our YouTube videos. What about learning about life after death?