Called to Bear the Image, Not Build One

Editor’s Note: This article is the first in a three-part series about social media and how easily it can shape us. It explores how Scripture offers a deeper vision of who we are and what we're called to.

Born in the late 1990s, I belong to one of the first generations to grow up alongside social media. It didn't shape my childhood, but it shaped my teenage and young adult years. What began as a way to connect with friends became a place where identity and worth began to be measured. Even now, I still have to guard my own heart.

I'll open social media intending to scroll for a minute, and before I know it, I'm doomscrolling. Post after post, I see perfect homes, perfect parenting, dream vacations, outfits I suddenly feel like I need, and carefully captured moments that make life look effortless. Somewhere along the way, comparison quietly slips into my heart. I catch myself wondering, Why doesn't my life look like that?

If we're not careful, comparison gives way to jealousy.

We start to live in the shadows of others’ carefully curated lives. We start chasing what others have, measuring our lives compared to theirs, in hopes of reaching that same standard of perfection.

We begin to believe that being seen by the world is what makes us significant.

But Scripture points us in a different direction.

From the very beginning, God created humanity with a purpose: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them” (Gen. 1:27a).

We were not created to build an image for ourselves. God created us to bear his.

That distinction might seem small, but it changes everything. Everything should flow from this truth: we were created to reflect his character, enjoy being in relationship with him, steward his creation, and display his glory.

What does it mean to bear God’s image? It begins with recognizing that we are not our own, but belong to Christ. Bearing God’s image begins in surrender, as we learn to yield our lives to God in obedience. In that place, Christ gently shapes us into his likeness over time. Our words, actions, relationships, and even our online presence begin to reflect glimpses of who he is. We do not create our own identity; instead, we are invited to faithfully reflect the One whose image we bear.

Babel

Today, we live in a culture obsessed with image-building. For generations, people have struggled with wanting others to think well of them. But social media has transformed that temptation. We are no longer simply managing a reputation—but curating an identity. Every post, picture, and caption offers an opportunity to present a carefully edited version of ourselves. The temptation is no longer just to be admired, but to construct an image worth admiring.

This temptation is not new—we see this play out in Genesis 11. The clans of Noah’s sons gathered together to build the Tower of Babel, rebelling against God’s specific commands. Their reason for building it sounds strikingly familiar: “So that we may make a name for ourselves” (Gen. 11:4).

At first glance, Babel seems like a story just about a tower. Although they were physically building a tower, the story goes much deeper. It's a story about pride. It reveals the condition of the heart and how earthly desires can easily pull us away from God.

Notice how the tower was never about architecture. The people weren't simply stacking bricks; they were building a legacy. They wanted to leave something behind impressive enough that the world would remember. They were pursuing a significance and identity apart from God in their own image instead of God’s. They wanted to create something that would make them known.

They believed significance could be built through what others saw.

Isn't that the same pressure we face today? We might not build towers from stone, but we often build towers of another kind. The tools might have changed but the temptation remains the same. We carefully build platforms with a desire for a following; we build up identities online, hoping for the same outcome the Babel builders desired: to be noticed, remembered, and admired. We want to put our successes and gifts on display for the world to see, oftentimes without giving God the glory, just like Babel wanted recognition, visibility, and status without obeying God.

Influence itself is not the problem. The problem is the hidden desire of the heart behind it.

As Christians we are called to have influence on someone. We see it in all of our relationships. Parents influence their children. Friends influence friends. Teachers influence students. Believers are called to let their light shine before others so that God is glorified.

The question, then, is not whether we have influence, but what motivates it?

Closeness with Jesus

Jesus never sought attention for his own glory. He often would withdraw from the crowds. When his miracles drew attention, Jesus would instruct others to keep them hidden. He never manipulated people to build a following. He never performed righteously to impress others. Every act of compassion, miracle, and sermon pointed people back to God.

Jesus later tells his disciples, “And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:27).

True witness, true influence doesn’t come from visibility but from closeness with Jesus.

Babel said, “Let us make a name for ourselves.” Jesus taught his disciples to pray, "Hallowed be your name."

Where Babel sought glory, Jesus sought obedience.

Where Babel reached up in pride, Jesus humbled himself in service.

Jesus did not come to build his own image. He came to reveal the Father.

We spend so much time chasing perfect images—perfect appearances, perfect families, perfect reputations, perfect lives. Yet there has only ever been one perfect image: Jesus Christ. He alone perfectly reflected the image of God (Col 1:15, 2 Cor 4:4). Where Adam failed to bear God's image faithfully, Jesus succeeded. Where humanity sought its own glory, Jesus glorified the Father. He showed us not only who God is, but what humanity was always meant to be. When we follow Christ, we are not simply adopting better habits; we are being transformed into his likeness (2 Cor 3:18).

The good news of the gospel frees us from the exhausting work of constructing ourselves. The world tells us to earn an identity. The gospel tells us how we have already received one. The world says, “Become someone worth noticing.” Christ says, “You are mine.” One path is exhausting, and one is completely freeing. In and through Christ, we are already known, loved, and seen. The approval we spend our lives chasing has already been secured through Jesus.

When we can finally stop looking to the world for approval, it frees us to ask ourselves new and honest questions when engaging online:

Am I posting from closeness with Jesus or from a desire for attention?

Am I bearing God's image or building my own?

Am I seeking to make a name for myself or to make Christ’s name known?

The Christian life has never been about creating an image worthy of admiration. It’s always been about reflecting the One who is worthy of worship.

May we be content to bear the image of Christ, even when it goes unseen. We were never called to create a name for ourselves, but to make God’s name known.