Made in the Image of God
Caitlin Estes
Author of Woven Well
“So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27, NRSV).
Do you ever have complicated thoughts and feelings about the body God gave you?
Maybe you’ve struggled with chronic illness or pregnancy loss, and you feel like your body declares “suffering.” Or you’re in a chaotic season so it’s bound to scream “exhaustion” to anyone paying attention.
Or maybe you’re like a young woman I met a few years ago who was fearful that all a female body could represent was “temptation.” From advice given during her youth group days about what to wear when around boys, she quietly internalized the message that her body must be dangerous or bad.
We’ve all internalized some message about our bodies over the years. Maybe you think your body can only be good if it’s a certain size, if it gave birth to a certain number of children, or if it gets a certain number of likes on social media.
Is your body’s worth dependent on these things? It sure can feel like it.
When the weight of these pressures is heavy on our hearts, we can’t look to the world for guidance; we have to look to a far more trustworthy source of truth — and in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, God gives it to us:
“So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).
Your body bears the image of God.
Praise God for how definitive this truth is! There is no “if” or “but” or “unless.” So you can know with confidence — no matter what your history or measurement or family size or health status — that your body is good and has a dignity that cannot be taken away or diminished.
Knowing that has a profound impact on how you look at your body in the mirror, how you talk about it in front of your children, and how you respect and care for it. And it also impacts how you connect with your Creator.
What does it do to our relationship with God when we think He created our bodies as a curse or punishment?
How does it heal that relationship when we realize that it’s the opposite and that our bodies are actually a gift that bear the life-giving, soul-nourishing image of God to a world that’s desperate to see it?
Your design is good because your God is good. Thanks be to God!
God, it is an honor to bear Your image in the world. Draw me to worship You when I catch a glimpse of it in the mirror or go shopping for new clothes or walk into a doctor’s appointment. Remind me of Your Truth that my body is good because its Creator is good. In Jesus’ name, amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
For those ready to transform their relationship with their female body, grab a copy of Caitlin Estes’ new book, Woven Well: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Reproductive Health, Fertility, and Wholeness. This book is practical and empowering, while honoring the deep connection between your fertility and your faith.
Eager for practical and faith-filled resources you can access today? Check out the hundreds of episodes available on the natural fertility podcast, Woven Well, with women’s health experts, real-world women, faith leaders, and more.
ENGAGE
Want to begin to understand your own reproductive health from an empowered (and faith-filled) perspective? Join Caitlin’s email list for a monthly gathering of thoughtfully curated resources!
Enter to WIN your very own copy of Woven Well by Caitlin Estes. To celebrate this book, Caitlin’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by filling out the form here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and notify them via email by Monday, September 21, 2026.}
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 139:13-15, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth” (NIV).
This passage is often used to declare the dignity of all human life, no matter how small. What does it inspire when you read it as a prayer over your own body? Share with us in the comments!
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
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