Journey to God's Heart 3.12

For a long time, December has always been the month when I pause long enough to look back—honestly, prayerfully—at how I lived throughout the year. Not to make resolutions, but to ask deeper questions:

• How did I use the time God entrusted to me?

• Where did I grow?

• What needs to be realigned?

• What things has God outlined for me that still remain for the coming year?

This year, those questions are wrapped with a deeper ache. Losing my mother has reminded me how sacred time truly is—and how fleeting. Her passing has made every question more honest, every moment more valuable. I’ve felt the weight of what it means to live on purpose… and the mercy of God when I fall short.

This inward look always brings me back to a foundational truth—one that shapes not only my journey, but the heart behind this consideration:

We were created with divine purpose from the very beginning.

In Genesis 1:26, God declared,

“Let Us make humankind in Our image, according to Our likeness.”

Before we took our first breath, identity and purpose were spoken over us. We were created to reflect His heart, His character, and His ways.

And even though life pulls us in many directions—and humanity often drifts from that original design—God remains astonishingly patient. For millennia with humanity… and in this new episode of grief, I have found myself running toward Him, not away. In sorrow. In uncertainty. In quiet mornings when words are hard to find—His presence meets me. Not forcing, not demanding—simply faithful, gently strengthening me to keep drawing closer to the One who created me.

His Character, Our Calling

Galatians 5:22–23 gives us the clearest picture of what God’s image looks like lived out:

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These aren’t abstract ideals; they are God’s own qualities. And because we were formed in His image—they are the qualities He desires to cultivate in us.

This ties beautifully into Ephesians 2:10:

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We are not aimless wanderers.

We are God’s masterpiece—designed with intention, crafted with purpose, and invited to reflect His character in our world.

A Personal Return

As you look back on this year, consider the quiet ways God may have been drawing your heart—inviting you to reflect His character, align your choices with His heart, and walk in the purpose He prepared for you.

If He has shown such patience toward us, then part of returning to His image is extending that patience to others:

Family. Friends. Colleagues. Neighbors. Those who bless us—and those who stretch us.

We were created in His image. So may His patience, grace, and love shape the way we live.

Because God’s character is not only received— It is meant to be reflected.

• Joann Montes