The first sight of reference to identity is how we look, and from the way we see ourselves externally others will join in and define us the same. Growing up I saw myself as Black and male, and others did too. I was handed a list defining how I should conduct myself as Black and male but I did not always see myself this way. When I looked around me, I saw all different shades of Black males and for the most part they were different from each other. As I grew, the idea of being Black and male became less and less of importance to me, although here I still am in this skin.
Having been on this earth for at least three decades, I can draw on the idea that I did not always see myself as a man – a black man that I was proud of. Growing up I did not see color in its entirety as I do today but it became clear to me from a young age that the darker a person was, the less favorable they were. To be lighter skinned was greatly admired and to be darker skinned was seen as unattractive.
One day I asked God, “why did you create me with a darker skin tone? Why is my hair texture the way it is? My eye color? My body type? All of me? I recognize I am male. Why did you create me male and not female?” For a while I really pondered on this mystery but God eventually responded to me and I believe He did it in stages. I had to come to the realization that my skin color and gender does not hold the divisive significance it does in today’s world and instead of labeling and conforming to the activities my race and gender uses to identify themselves with, I must find separate myself. One day God responded and said, “I created you fearfully and wonderfully made. You were made in the likeness of my image. You were made perfect.” This is scripture, right?
“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” [Psalm 139:14].
Fearfully and wonderfully made means I am perfectly created but it took me a while to come into agreement with this. There was a time where I would look in the mirror and think of myself as someone else, tall and handsome with a great built not 5’8 and toned, at the time fairly thin. Acceptance is key! Recognize how different we are physically is important and coming into appreciation this is crucial for happiness and finding joy in knowing you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are to love yourself and avoid being influenced by society’s standards of what it means to be a man or a woman. God created you fearfully and wonderfully made and it is your responsibility to know this to be true.
Fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God goes far beyond just believing this truth but taking care of the temple God created for intimacy with Him. Created in the image of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (the Holy Trinity) means every function of the God-head has purpose for you. This purpose goes far beyond being Black, White, Mixed-race, Asian, Native American/indigenous but being a representative of Christ in the earth realm, having a relationship with God through Christ and being led in communion with the Holy Spirit daily.
When I look in the mirror, I see a black man but one who is chosen and loved unconditionally by God. I am forgiven and my life is not my own. I strive to have my choices line up with my creator and I live in freedom knowing life is worth living. My temple where the Holy Spirit lives, contains holiness and I should value this level of worth I am given. No one has to power to define me based on societies standards of race expectations. No one has to right to deny me housing or opportunities based on my skin color. No one has the right to degrade me based on my skin color or race. I am not my race but it is a beautiful manifestation of being fearfully and wonderfully made. God created other races fearfully and wonderfully made just the same, and it’s not my responsibility to condemn God’s creation who do not look like me. We are all beautiful in God’s eyes, fearfully and wonderfully made as representatives of Him, coming together with our differences but unifying as one body in Christ.
I implore you to love yourself but love God more, for He created you. Be thankful you are a beautiful manifestation of his image, and worship Him for who He is. I am a black man but I am a God’s man more, and for this I celebrate who I am.
“So God created man in His own image: in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.” [Genesis 1:27 AMP].
“Then the LORD God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit]. [Genesis 2:7 AMP].