A common thought many people wrestle with is, “Does God really care about me?” Or, “If God is so good, why would He allow bad things to happen?” Some even quietly wonder, “Was I a mistake?”

Questions like these can create separation between us and the relationship God longs to have with us. But the truth is, He invites us to bring these very questions to Him. He welcomes honest dialogue. When we come with open and sincere hearts, He is faithful to reveal His truth.

There is hope, my friends. Despite the fact that throughout centuries humanity has turned inward for answers and pursued its own desires, and through our free will allowed darkness to run rampant, God did not abandon us. He sent us a Savior, His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile us to Himself so He could heal our hearts and pour His love on us, both now on this earth and for all eternity.

What follows is a beautiful and profound explanation of why we were created, why darkness exists in the world, how we enter into close relationship with God, and ultimately how we become children of God through Christ Jesus.

Below is an excerpt from the book The Fight for Female by Lisa Bevere, a gifted author and strong mentor in the faith. While the overall narrative of the book focuses on protecting the God given identity of the female, this particular chapter carries a powerful message for both men and women. In it, she unpacks the importance of male and female to God and, more importantly, helps readers understand who we truly are as children of God once that identity is revealed and embraced.

Chapter 2

In Genesis 1:26: Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

The word image here expresses an idea, vision, reflection, or concept, the imagination—as well as a divine representation—of your Creator. This means you are God’s idea. Both male and female are uniquely created to reflect His image. Just because woman was the last to be created, do not imagine this makes her the least. Female was always part of God’s divine vision. The very concept of woman illustrates our Creator’s profound care and response to our longings. Both the feminine and masculine are captured in the term imago Dei. This in and of itself is an incomparable instrument.

In light of this, Genesis 1:27 should challenge our self-perception. Rather than bowing to the limits of self, or how we see ourselves, the image of God is a revelation of how God sees us.

God heard our anguish and responded with a divine rescue. Rather than reject and push us away after millennia of rebellion, God drew closer and ransomed His wayward image bearers with the life of His only begotten Son. Why? Because of His love for us. He knew we’d all need the love of a Father and a family to call our own. In Christ, He adopted us and called us sons and daughters.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. (1 John 3:1)

The depth of this gift is evidenced by what He calls us, His children. All humanity was created to reflect the image of God, but only children reflect their Father’s nature. Everyone is an image bearer, but not everyone is a child of God. We have become His. The passage in 1 John continues,

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.” (vv. 2–3)

In Scripture, there is both the promise of now and the promise of what will be; we are children who reflect God’s heart and nature. Our hope is in Him, and as we pursue God, He reveals, refines, restores, and transforms us.

When we come to faith there is a great exchange. Jesus Christ purchased our complete freedom so that we could be completely His. We are invited to surrender our broken, sin-filled, self-focused, sensual nothingness for His glorious everything. We exchange our dead temporal life for His eternal life, our self-will is surrendered for His divine will, our brokenness is replaced with His healing love, and our thoughts and ways are first surrendered then raised to His. He loved us long before we knew Him and chose us long before we knew we had a choice. Under the lordship of Jesus, the domination of sin and darkness is over. We no longer follow the dictates of self—we follow the lead of our Savior King, and the Holy Spirit is our Counselor and Guide. God is your Father, and you are a (child) of the God Most High.

Article Introduction Written by Tricia Trujillo,

Featuring book excerpt from The Fight for Female by Lisa Bevere