“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you
are his dear children.” - Ephesians 5:1 New Living Translation
To
imitate is to copy the mannerisms and character of another. This is exactly
what the Apostle Paul is saying to the Ephesian believers. It isn’t easy to do
this because we are not that individual. What we are called to do as followers
of Christ is to come to know him so well that his thoughts, words and actions
become ours. Like the moon reflects the sun, so we would be a reflection of our
Lord.
Our
imitation would be born out of a grateful heart because of what was willingly
done for us. Once we have a knowledge of
the deep, abiding love God has for us, that should be sufficient to motivate
the self-sacrifice necessary to live a Christian life.
It is
a natural thing to emulate our parents. Some of their traits are passed onto to
us thru genetics. It is our heart that is triggered to be like Christ thru the
start of our association with him. So by all means, be like Christ in your daily
lives. That may mean placing your desires on hold for a time or perhaps
forever. You won’t be shortchanged, for God knows exactly what those desires
are and what you are in need of far better than you do. Shed the skin of self-centeredness
and live for others over yourself. If you ask, the Spirit of God will enable
you to do just that. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
Resources: The Life Application Study Bible;
The Reformation Study Bible.
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