Imagine if someone were to show you a fuzzy photo on their phone and say, "Boy, that looks like you in that crowd. Is that really you?" Even if it's a distorted picture, you know whether that's you or not, because you know your image. You just know. And if it's not you, you can speak with authority and say, "No, that's not me. I know my image."
So when someone says something about us that we know is not true, when people try to put a false label on us, why don't we just stop them and say, "I know who I am, and that's not true. That's not my image, and I won't let it define me"? Why do we let what we know is our true identity be stolen or distorted? What is there to keep us from walking away feeling ashamed, inferior, intimidated, or angry
We first have to know our spiritual image as God says in His Word. In Genesis 1, He says that He created you and me in His image. Having His image and likeness in us is meant to be our source of strength and confidence. But that image was distorted when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden and were separated from God. Even then, God said, "I'm going to rebirth this image in you." So the image of God was given a rebirth in you when you said yes to Jesus and put your faith in Him.
The question is, are you identifying with and living in the strength of His image in you, or have you allowed the enemy and things that have happened to distort the image of God in your life? We have an enemy who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy"(John 10:10), and he wants to steal that image from us. Some people carry around an identity that says "I'm a divorced person"or "I'm a failure" or "I never measure up." They live with a victim mentality rather than identify with who they are in Christ Jesus and His power in us. If that is you, you need to get your image back.
I can't think of a higher calling than to bear the image of Almighty God. He is saying, "You are made in My image, and Jesus lives in you. Your image is not that of a damaged person. You are a victor!" Allow His Word to instruct you on all that you have received in Jesus, and put yourself in the presence of God in worship and let Him adjust and reaffirm His image in you. He wants that image to be deeply impressed into your very being.