Dancing in God’s Design: A Luau of Love and Creation

When we consider the truth that we are made in the image of God, we often go wrong in two directions. Some think too highly of themselves, acting as if they are God. Others think too little of themselves, treating life and their own worth with little respect. Yet both errors miss the heart of the matter: being created in the image of God is a gift of grace.

God did not need to create humanity. He chose to. Out of love, He gave us the dignity of bearing His image.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
(Genesis 1:26–27, ESV)

Genesis 3 explains both our purpose and our struggle—why we are here and why we so often miss it.

The reality is that every human being—no matter age, appearance, ability, or social standing—is equally made in God’s image. This was not a gift given to some but denied to others. It is universal. It is not based on achievement, status, wealth, intelligence, or physical ability. If you are human, you bear the image of God.

“With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.”
(James 3:9, ESV)

This truth should radically shape the way we view people. Children, unborn, the elderly, those born with disabilities, those from different cultures and backgrounds—all stand on equal ground in dignity and worth. There is no hierarchy here. There is no superiority. We are one human race, united by the Creator’s lavish gift.

“The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the Maker of them all.”
(Proverbs 22:2, ESV)

Though we are not God, He gave us purpose. In Genesis, Adam and Eve were tasked with work—stewarding creation, bringing order, and living fruitfully within the framework God provided.

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
(Genesis 2:15, ESV)

We were never meant to sit back passively; we were given direction and patterns to follow. But we are not creators in the same sense as God. Only He creates from nothing. We are sub-creators, shaping and forming what God has already given. This both confirms our role in creation and reminds us of our limitations: we are dependent creatures, reflections of His glory, not the source of it.

I was reminded of this truth through our experience with a Luau. While visiting Hawaii, we had hoped to attend one of these cultural events—an evening filled with flowers, music, dance, and fire. Yet, the first event was cancelled because of a storm, and we never had the chance to experience it there.

But now, close to home, we’ve been given another opportunity. We will get to enjoy the beauty of this celebration—not in the islands where it began, but on the mainland. And as I think about it, that reflects something deeper.

The weaving of flowers into garlands, the rhythm of music, the movement of dance, the wonder of fire—all of it testifies to the creativity of human hands and minds. But every part of it still depends on God. The flowers, the fire, the human body itself—all are raw materials He has given. We do not create out of nothing. We shape, arrange, and craft from what the Creator has already supplied.

Even in the disappointment of the storm in Hawaii, God has given us another chance to enjoy the beauty of human creativity closer to home. And perhaps that is the point—whether in Hawaii or in our own community, the beauty isn’t ultimately about the location, but about the reflection of God’s image in human creativity. We create because He first created.

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
(Romans 11:36, ESV)

In many ways, this reflection also connects to the celebration of our marriage. Just as the Luau is filled with music, flowers, and dance, our wedding was filled with beauty, laughter, and community. Marriage itself is one of God’s first gifts to humanity — a covenant relationship that reflects His image in a unique way.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
(Genesis 2:24, ESV)

The joy we shared that night was not something we created out of nothing — it was the weaving together of God’s good gifts: love, companionship, family, and the blessing of shared life. Just like the Luau, our celebration reflected the truth that we create beauty only because God first created and gave.

C. S. Lewis, in The Abolition of Man, warns of the danger when a small group of people claim the authority to define what “improvement” means for humanity. What one culture calls progress, another might not. When we forget our dependence on the Creator, we risk reshaping humanity according to narrow, shifting standards—losing sight of the good of all people.

Instead, our creativity and progress must remain in submission to God, the true source of meaning and goodness.

“Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
(Psalm 100:3, ESV)

If we are made in the image of God, then we are not God. We derive our purpose from Him, not from ourselves.

C. S. Lewis captures this balance beautifully in Prince Caspian:

        "You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve, said Aslan. And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content."

To be human is both a staggering honor and a sobering humility. We are not the rulers of the universe, yet we alone bear the privilege of being made in God’s image.

“What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.”
(Psalm 8:4–6, ESV)

As I reflect on the gift of being made in God’s image, on the beauty of human creativity, and on the joy of celebrating our marriage, my heart overflows with gratitude. Every song, every dance, every shared smile and hand held is a reminder that God has entrusted us with the privilege of co-creating His beauty in the world. Life may bring storms that cancel plans or shift our expectations, but His grace remains, allowing us to see, celebrate, and participate in His good design in ways that fill our hearts with wonder and love. Truly, every moment of creativity, connection, and celebration is a reflection of the Creator who made us for relationship, joy, and purpose.