In journalism school, I learned there are 5 basic questions that need to be answered in a story: who, what, when, where & why. Answer those, and you’ve given readers information they can actually use.
Why did God create everything? To make mankind. To make us. We are the point of all creation. Think about that one for a while.
But, that’s not the only “why” that can be asked. Why did God make us? The answer from verse 26 is clear—to bear His image and likeness. That’s a deep concept; what does it mean? On one hand, it suggests to us that God wanted someone similar to Him with whom He could extend fellowship and relation. This is something that could not be acted upon with animals— who, along with all of creation, are for us. We, however, are for God; there is something uniquely and intrinsically suited about us for fellowship with Him. We, like God (and unlike animals) are moral beings.
Others have suggested, however, another idea: just as an image represents the image bearer, so mankind (us!), made in God’s image, has the duty to represent God to the world. Think about that one. We have the duty to represent God’s holiness, justice, mercy and grace and everything else that is God to the world. “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45).
So, which is it? I don’t know, but both are intriguing, possible and necessary for us today. You and I can have an intimate relationship with God, and we have a duty to live in such a way as to positively represent Him in the world.