Let me start with a confession:

On my last surf trip to Nicaragua, I left feeling a little disappointed—not because the waves were bad, but because the photographer didn’t get many good shots of me. Or at least, not the kind I thought looked good. Typically, you get 25 to 30 rapid-fire shots of each wave you catch, so even if you surf poorly, you’re almost guaranteed to find one or two photos that make you look impressive. Those are the ones I want to post on Facebook!

But on this trip, the only photo that looked cool had nothing to do with my surfing — it just happened to have amazingly vivid colors.

I know, it sounds a little vain . . . because it is. But I’m not the only one. We’ve all seen it, and many of us have done it: taking multiple pictures in fun, interesting, or exotic places, trying different angles, cropping, zooming, adding filters—or even running the photo through an AI app.

Why? Because we want to project a certain image—of beauty, happiness, success. The truth is, most of us hate this game… and many of us still play it.

From high school hallways to corporate boardrooms, we hear the phrase, “Image is everything.”

And it raises an important question: What image truly shapes your identity and guides your life?

Every day, we feel a tension—the pull between what we project to the world and who we really are.

  • The projected self is the version we carefully curate for approval;
  • The authentic self reflects reality.

One is driven by ego; the other is grounded in soul.
One is built to impress; the other is made to reveal our unique value.

So, it’s important to ask:
Am I chasing an image I think will earn me love, success, or status?
Or am I living from the image placed in me by the Creator of the universe?

This is important. Because when your life is grounded in the image of God—not the image you try to curate—you find the freedom to build deep, healthy friendships. And you reflect God’s love to the world.

What is the Image of God?

In Genesis 1, we read:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness…’ So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them” (vv. 26–27).

This idea is central to our faith. It affirms that every human being is a child of God, uniquely designed for a close, loving relationship with God.

It means:

  • We are unconditionally loved.
  • We possess an inherent, irrevocable dignity and worth.
  • We have a divine purpose: to care for God’s good creation and reflect God’s goodness to others through the way we live.

We are created to mirror:

  • God’s creativity,
  • God’s capacity for love,
  • God’s longing for community,
  • God’s desire for justice and goodness.

Taken together, these gifts make up the image of God within us.

The love, value, and purpose that come from being created in this image are not things you earn. They aren’t based on your GPA, your job title, your relationship status, or how much money you have. They are simply part of what it means to be human.

We can never forget:

  • All human beings are created in God’s image.
  • All human beings are God’s children.
  • All human beings are worthy of dignity and respect.

The Challenge: Forgetting Who We Are

Unfortunately, we often do forget who we really are.

Our culture teaches us to focus more on managing how we appear to others than actually living out who we were created to be.

We craft different personas: the smart one, the funny one, the wise one. But the truth is, they’re just masks. And masks always come with a cost.

When hiding behind a projected image, we often feel:

  • Insecurity – constantly questioning if we are enough.
  • Shame – hiding parts of ourselves we believe are defective or unworthy.
  • Envy – comparing our real lives to someone else’s highlight reel.
  • Pride – needing others to see us a certain way just to feel okay.

Finally, when we relate to others through masks and filters, it prevents us from experiencing true friendship. Authentic connection can only happen when we bring our true selves to the table.

The Problem with Masks

We know from experience that the masks we wear to curate our identity are not always obvious. In fact, we often don’t realize when someone is hiding behind a projection.

We assume we are relating to their true self. And when we eventually discover that it was just a mask, we often feel disappointed, even betrayed.

You can’t build a true friendship without offering your true self.

But it’s understandable. Most people wear masks because they’re afraid that if others truly knew them, they wouldn’t be liked—or worse, rejected.

However, you can’t build healthy friendships if you don’t believe you’re worth being known.
When you doubt your own lovability, you’re more likely to pull away and isolate yourself.
And when you do engage, you tend to project the image you think others will like or admire, rather than showing them your heart.

The Good News: Jesus Restores the Image of God

This is where the image of God makes all the difference.

When you know you are unconditionally loved by God—and live confidently as a child of God, grounded in your inherent value—things begin to shift.

You can:

  • Offer grace because you know you’ve received it.
  • Be honest because you don’t need to pretend.
  • Build trust because you’re not trying to impress anyone.

In these ways and more, friendships flourish because you’re finally bringing your true self to the relationship.

How Do We Find Our Way Back to Our True Self?

We turn to the one who has the power to restore God’s image in us—Jesus.

First, Jesus reminds us we are unconditionally loved and accepted by God.
We have nothing to prove and do not need others to see us in a particular way.
As theologian Paul Tillich famously said, “You are accepted.”
This acceptance is rooted in God’s eternal love.

Second, Jesus gives us a clear picture of the true image of God.
Colossians 1:15 says: “The Son [referring to Jesus] is the image of the invisible God.” By embodying God’s image, Jesus shows us who we are in God’s eyes and what it looks like to live in perfect alignment with God’s will.

Third, Jesus restores the image of God in us.
Through Jesus’ life and teaching, it’s like God is saying: “This is who I am—and this is who you are.” By living in alignment with his true self and with God’s will, Jesus casts a vision for a more authentic life.

Rather than settling for a curated, surface-level existence,

  • We can receive forgiveness for the ways we have distorted God’s image,
  • We can experience healing for the wounds that keep us hiding behind our masks.

Finally, once Jesus restores the image of God within us, he calls us to reflect it to others—creating a ripple effect of love, grace, and authentic friendship in a world desperately longing for it.

When we put all this together, we see how Jesus restores the image of God in each of us.

Restoration is a Process

However, this restoration is not a magic trick.

It’s more like a slow transformation—a long walk with Jesus, one step at a time.
This is what we call sanctification, and it almost always happens in community.

It’s through our relationships with others—especially our Christian friendships—that we are intended to experience the safety, encouragement, and accountability we need to heal and grow.

This is why Christian community is so important.

  • We form real friendships with people who share the same vision of life.
  • We are committed to speaking the truth in love.
  • We offer grace and walk alongside each other as we learn to live more authentically.

This process also requires commitment:

  • Commitment to seeing the vision God has for us and for our relationships.
  • Commitment to being honest about where we are and where we need to grow.
  • Commitment to using the tools God provides to support and sustain our journey.

With God’s help, when we take these steps, real friendships begin to form, and part of our healing happens as we experience being truly known and truly loved.

Practical Next Steps

If you want to cultivate your true identity in Jesus, it’s helpful to start by asking:

  • Where have I been trying to manage an image instead of living from my God-given identity?
  • What can I do to resist this impulse and show people who I really am?

Specific steps you can take:

  • Start your day with truth.
    (Google “Bible verses about my true identity” and memorize a few.)
  • Limit comparison traps.
    (Take regular breaks from social media.)
  • Be vulnerable with trusted friends.
    (Let someone see behind the mask.)
  • Spend quiet time reflecting on how God sees you.
    (Maybe journal what you sense God saying to you.)
  • Join a small group.
    (Surround yourself with people who will speak truth into your life.)

Conclusion

Let’s circle back to where we started.

Image is everything.
But not the kind we put filters on and project.

The image that matters most is the one God placed in you from the very beginning.

  • You are made in the image of God.
  • You were created for relationship.
  • You are already worthy of love, already known, already chosen.

So, live from that image.

Let it:

  • Free you to be honest,
  • Free you to be present,
  • Free you to be vulnerable.

Let it shape the way you relate to others—offering grace, building trust, forming deep and lasting friendships.

Final Reflection

What would change if you truly believed your identity was secure in God?

  • Imagine… your friendships deepening.
  • Imagine… your peace growing.
  • Imagine… living free—no longer performing but simply reflecting the One who made you.

You are an image-bearer.
So go—and reflect that image into a world that desperately needs to see it.