Excerpt From The Answer

“When I think about imagination, I simply think about who we are as image bearers of God. Meaning, God gave us faculties to think deeply, to imagine reality, and to make those things happen. Specifically, I think about the idea of what we do in our lives when we create things. I’m not even thinking about an artist or a film director who might create things. You might consider that more of the imaginative process. 

I’m just talking about the fact that you and I imagine what our day is going to be like, and then we take steps to accomplish those goals. In particular, if we’re going to think about our spiritual life, we need to do a couple of things. We need to imagine the kind of person that God wants us to be and is calling us to be. I’m called to be a father who serves and loves my family. I am to care for them, provide for them, sacrifice for them, to humble myself, and to be a servant. Therefore, I need to consider what kind of things I need to do to allow that to happen.

We get all sorts of cues in scripture as to how to use our imagination. I can’t read the book of Exodus without imagining what the tabernacle was like. Even that idea of God gifting these individuals to recreate just a small glimpse of who He is and the heavenly realms is an imaginative task.”

About Dr. Coleman Ford

Coleman M. Ford is an author, teacher, and speaker devoted to imparting the goodness, truth, and beauty of the Christian tradition. He has taught for numerous schools and theological seminaries and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Humanities at Texas Baptist College in Fort Worth, Texas. His work has appeared in Christian publications such as The Gospel Coalition and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, as well as numerous academic journals and presses. He writes on early Christian thought and spirituality, as well as spiritual formation for modern Christians. He is married to Alex and they have three beautiful children. For more resources, visit his web­site at www.coleman-ford.com.

Links Mentioned: 

Formed in His Image by Dr. Coleman Ford

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