In God's Image

By Chassidy J. Guidry

In God’s Image is for women seeking revelation from scripture concerning God’s love and truth. Specifically, this book is for everyday women who do not have degrees in theology or Christian studies but who long to find hope in scripture for their current situations and the struggles of their sisters, mothers, daughters, and friends.

There are many women who love God but fail to experience the fullness of God’s love because they do not invite God into every situation in their lives. In God’s Image examines God’s proven love for women in relation to and in contrast with cultural stereotypes, feminist ideals, and misogynistic views. Each chapter assesses the stories of biblical women with focus on how the women overcome various obstacles through God's love and provision.

This is not a self-help guide or an ode to the author’s transformation but rather a journey through scripture with specific attention on the power of women’s stories. In God’s Image will help women find new inspiration from biblical truths and tap into their God given destinies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664294141

Chassidy J. Guidry

Chassidy J. Guidry is a Christian, sister, daughter, and friend. She is also an attorney, a writer, and a historian with an interest in the intersection between faith in God and American culture.

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IN GOD’S IMAGE

CHASSIDY J. GUIDRY

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Copyright © 2023 Chassidy J. Guidry.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Unless noted otherwise, all scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-9415-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-9416-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-9414-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023904101

WestBow Press rev. date: 06/15/2023

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1 Like Us

Chapter 2 New Life

Chapter 3 Emotional Attachment

Chapter 4 Chosen Battles

Chapter 5 Sister, Sister

Chapter 6 Secret Weapon

Chapter 7 Everything to Gain

Chapter 8 Preparation Phase

Chapter 9 Authority

Chapter 10 Justice

Chapter 11 Woman, Lead

Chapter 12 Committed Connections

Chapter 13 Reflection

Through obedience and an intentional act toward carrying out purpose, I dedicate this book to Eugenia Perry, Jerridean Bradley, Carolyn Bradley-Guidry, Carinthia Guidry, Chelsea Guidry, Janice Houston, Traci Washington, and Hilda K. Guidry and her daughters and granddaughters. Thank you.

PREFACE

In God’s Image examines God’s proven love for women in relation to and in contrast with cultural stereotypes, feminist ideals, and misogynistic views. Each chapter assesses the stories of biblical women with focus on how the women overcome various obstacles through God’s love and provision. In God’s Image will help women find new inspiration from biblical truths and tap into their God-given destinies.

In God’s Image’s intended readers are women seeking revelation from scripture concerning God’s love and truth. Specifically, everyday women who do not have degrees in theology or Christian studies but those who long to find hope in scripture for their current situations and the struggles of their sisters, mothers, daughters, and friends. Ideally the concepts addressed will spark conversation among groups of women and serve as a means of applicable encouragement when dealing with specific situations. There are many women who love God but fail to experience the fullness of God’s love because they do not invite God into every situation in their lives. In God’s Image provides examples of different biblical stories with parallels to current societal situations and demystifies the idea that God’s word is outdated or irrelevant to the struggles of women in twenty-first-century American society. This is not a self-help guide or an ode to the author’s transformation but a journey through scripture with specific attention on the power of women’s stories.

INTRODUCTION

I am a very inquisitive person. I like to figure things out and have full understanding of concepts to decide how they relate to me and the environment around me. This works great for studying facts and viewing things in an objective manner, but I’ve recognized this as a detriment in my spiritual journey. Knowledge is an immense source of power that can provide avenues for growth, connection, and success. However, the quest for knowledge as a Christian must be qualified and grounded in the truth found in the word of God.

God does not expect us to have complete comprehension of all things. Isaiah 55:8 tells us that God’s thoughts are higher than our own, and his ways are far beyond anything we could imagine. Scripture also teaches us to seek wisdom from an all-knowing God instead of looking within ourselves or to worldly concepts to find peace and guidance (Proverbs 1:7, 3:7, 13, 4:5–13; James 1:5). I sought wisdom from God continuously while studying the scriptures and received revelations from God on the content presented. As you journey with me, I encourage you to dive into the scriptures and allow God to show you how relevant and all-encompassing the word of God is.

CHAPTER 1

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Like Us

What better place to begin our journey together than in Genesis with the story of creation? This is where I started on my personal quest to gain a deeper understanding about God’s purpose for the creation of women. Genesis 1 reveals God’s intentional and original vision to fill Earth with life. When God created land and commanded vegetation to sprout, there was particular focus on seed-bearing plants and trees. The plants’ seeds would produce seed-bearing fruit, and the fruit’s seeds would continue to reproduce life (Genesis 1:11–12). God filled the skies with birds and the waters with creatures and blessed the animals with the responsibility to be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth (Genesis 1:20–22). God then created human beings in the form of male and female to reign over all other creation. Genesis 1:26–27 reads, God said, Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth. So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Take a moment to think about God, the maker of the universe, wanting to create something that reflects us, being the Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.¹ Think about all the characteristics of God in these three forms, and then marvel over the notion that you were created to be like that. If you are having a hard time comprehending this, you are not alone. Grasping the fullness of God’s majesty and power is something most, if not all believers struggle with. Yet as women, we have been given the amazing opportunity to experience God’s love and to know that our origin and designed purpose as female image bearers is to reflect this ever-powerful, incomprehensible, and loving God.

The first time I traveled abroad, I found myself in a quaint gift shop in Vieux Lyon, the historic city center in Lyon, France. I was searching for a handmade keepsake to gift my mother. I settled on a thin gold chain necklace with an engravable pendant. I asked the artisan shop owner to engrave, Je vous aime, on the pendant, which means I love you in French. While I waited for the engraving to be completed, I browsed around the shop looking through antique French artifacts and relics. As I idly wandered around the small shop, I caught the store owner glancing over in my direction a few times. I politely smiled and assumed he was just keeping an eye out for the store and checking to see if I would be interested in adding anything else to my purchase. As I went to pay for my gift, I noticed a bewildered look on the owner’s face. Shyly yet boldly, he asked if he could ask me a question.

Sure, I replied, thinking it was something pertaining to my necklace or another item he saw me looking at in the rows of antiques.

Do you know where your family comes from? he asked. Like, can you trace your ancestry out of America, before slavery?

I was shocked and totally caught off guard, when I truthfully answered, No. I have traced my family lineage on both sides back to slavery, but I personally do not know my ancestors’ origin preslavery in America. I was aware of online platforms and professional genealogy studies, and I had heard of people tracing their heritage to a specific tribe or country in Africa. However, this was not something that was commonplace in my community or among people I knew. No one in my family had ever traced the origin of our ancestors outside the United States.

The shop owner looked at me with sadness as he expressed sorrow that there existed this disconnect in my ancestral knowledge, one that was rare in his country and among his race. He went on to tell me that he hoped I was not offended by his inquiry, but he always wanted the chance to ask an African American that question, and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity now that I was standing in front of him. I was not offended by the question, and I did not mind engaging in conversation with the owner a while longer.