IMAGO DEI 2 (POWER OF PERCEPTION)

In my previous article, I described Imago Dei as the Image of God, which has a metaphysical representation unique to humans, signifying the symbolic link between God and humanity. Its origin lies in (Genesis 1:27), where it is stated, “God created man in his image…” and I began to explain that this biblical reference does not suggest that God possesses a human form; rather, it emphasizes that humans bear the image of God in their moral, spiritual, and intellectual essence.

In this sense, humans mirror God’s divine nature through their capacity to exhibit distinct qualities. These qualities, including rational understanding, creative freedom, the ability for self-realization and the potential for self-transcendence distinguish humans from all other living beings.

In this article, I will explain how we can practically live out the Image of God with the POWER of PERCEPTION.

Our understanding and interpretation of the world around us are shaped by perception. Perception has to do with how the brain processes sensory data to affect our feelings, ideas, and behavior. Because our perceptions are influenced by our unique experiences and prejudices; perceptions are subjective.

Diverse interpretations of the same event are influenced by elements such as culture, upbringing, and personal experiences. Optical illusions provide a striking example of how perception may be manipulated, exposing the brain’s fallibility.

Understanding perception emphasizes the importance of taking into account different points of view, which is essential for good communication and empathy. In the end, perception acts as a lens through which we see the world.

Our perception is a living, breathing combination of our senses and our minds, always changing to take in new information. The brain creates a logical representation of our environment by organizing and filtering stimuli. This mental model is a unique interpretation shaped by neural networks rather than the exact representation of the outside world.

Additional factors that shape our view are cultural and sociological ones. Cultural frameworks provide expectations, conventions, and values that influence how people perceive and react to their environment.

Perception acts as a lens through which we see the world.

Furthermore, perception can be greatly influenced by our emotional state, with strong emotions clouding our judgment. The study of perception includes experiences with sound, smell, taste, touch, and vision in addition to visual perception.

With the above vivid explanation of Perception, especially from the psychological view, Perception simply boils down to “How do you view things?”. The way we view things is really important and influences the kind of life we live. Your experience is different from your reality. Experience is who you are and Reality is what you are. Who you are might change due to circumstances and natural occurrences. What you are doesn’t change. What you are is constant, what you are is your true identity, and what you are is your real nature.

Do you see yourself by who you are or what you are? What are you? You are the Image of God! Now do you perceive yourself as a god which is a reality or do you perceive yourself as your experience which is who you are?

The way we view things is really important and influences the kind of life we live. Your experience is different from your reality. Experience is who you are and Reality is what you are

Num.13.1 – The LORD now said to Moses,
Num.13.2 – “Send men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to Israel. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.”
Num.13.17 – Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: “Go northward through the Negev into the hill country.
Num.13.18 – See what the land is like and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many.
Num.13.19 – What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls or are they unprotected?
Num.13.20 – How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Enter the land boldly, and bring back samples of the crops you see.” (It happened to be the season for harvesting the first ripe grapes.)
Num.13.21 – So they went up and explored the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near Lebo-hamath.
Num.13.22 – Going northward, they passed first through the Negev and arrived at Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai–all descendants of Anak–lived. (The ancient town of Hebron was founded seven years before the Egyptian city of Zoan.)
Num.13.23 – When they came to what is now known as the Valley of Eshcol, they cut down a cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also took samples of the pomegranates and figs.
Num.13.24 – At that time the Israelites renamed the valley Eshcol–“cluster”–because of the cluster of grapes they had cut there.
Num.13.25 – After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned
Num.13.26 – to Moses, Aaron, and the people of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land.
Num.13.27 – This was their report to Moses: “We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country–a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is some of its fruit as proof.
Num.13.28 – But the people living there are powerful, and their cities and towns are fortified and very large. We also saw the descendants of Anak who are living there!
Num.13.29 – The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan Valley.”
Num.13.30 – But Caleb tried to encourage the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”
Num.13.31 – But the other men who had explored the land with him answered, “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”
Num.13.32 – So they spread discouraging reports about the land among the Israelites: “The land we explored will swallow up any who go to live there. All the people we saw were huge.
Num.13.33 – We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. We felt like grasshoppers next to them, and that’s what we looked like to them!”

According to the above biblical illustration, we can see that Moses sent men to spy on the Canaan land and they saw giants. They said something that really struck me about Perception. They said, “We felt like grasshoppers next to them, and that is what we looked like to them.” They judge the situation by who they are not what they are which is their reality.

Let’s use Caleb and Joshua as a case study

Num.14.5 – Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the people of Israel.
Num.14.6 – Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing.
Num.14.7 – They said to the community of Israel, “The land we explored is wonderful!
Num.14.8 – And if the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey, and he will give it to us!
Num.14.9 – Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

12 men saw the same thing but different perceptions. Joshua and Caleb saw helpless prey, while other men saw giants. They both physically saw the same thing but their perception was different!

What lens are you viewing the circumstances around you? Are you attacking issues based on your reality or experience? Your reality is that you are the Image of God! As God is so are you! If Giants are too small before God so small they are to you also. Why? Because you are the Image of God, you have the likeness and ability of God. Always attack issues on what you are, you are the Image of God! You are created in God’s likeness, have the God kind of thinking! Don’t be bullied by the giants around you, you are greater than whatever your eyes can see.

I will end this article on this note, how do you see yourself and how do you see situations around you?