Imitate God

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
(Ephesians 5:1-2)

Meditation

When each of my children were around 3 years old, they would try to mimic everything I did. If I was sitting with my legs crossed, they would do the same. If I swung my arms a certain way when I was walking, they swung their arms the same. It was a very natural thing for them to do. They were fascinated with what adults around them were doing and wanted to do everything they were doing. My children are grown now and some of them have children of their own. The cycle continues with the grandchildren. Just as I love my children and grandchildren, I know that my Father in heaven loves me.
Like my children were, I am a child of God, so my desire is to mimic him. The Father sent his Son to live a perfect life and then take our sins upon him when he went to the cross. The life Jesus lived is the example I’m emulating as I go through my life. I learned, from reading scripture and several good Bible teachers, what Jesus did during his 3-year ministry.  He was a servant to everyone, even to the lowest of the low. Therefore, I try to serve my fellow man as much as I am able. Even though he did more in those few short years than I could do in my entire lifetime, I am still driven to try.
As Christians, our predisposition should be to be the best imitators of Christ that we can. Our mission is to serve those in need, whether they live in our neighborhood or a far-flung corner of the world. When we sacrifice our time and money to help people, we are pleasing our Father in heaven. If more of us would be joyful imitators of Christ, our expressions of joy might attract more unbelievers to what we have.
God doesn’t want a part-time worker; he wants us to be about his business all the time. I know life tries to get in the way of fulfilling our mission, but we sometimes let it. It can be a daunting task to always show a joyous heart, filled with love even for unlovable people, but that’s what God wants. Try to remember, God loved us when we were unlovable. If we really love God, then we will love everyone he loves. He doesn’t give us the option of discriminating against people who curse at us for our beliefs. He wants us to sacrifice our egos to show an unbeliever how much he loves them.




Daily Prayer

Lord God, you are great and mighty, strong and powerful, invincible and unshakable, yet to are also kind and gentle, comforting us in our times of need. Teach us to be imitators of your loving kindness. You loved us when we were wicked sinners. You brought us up out of the darkness that consumed our lives and brought us into the bright light of your love. Give us a sacrificial heart; willing to give up our time and money to help others and to show them your love. We don’t have anything that wasn’t provided by you. We thank you for showing us your love with your sacrificial offering of Jesus. Help us to remember that no matter what comes up against us, you are greater. When we turn to you in prayer, our cares seem less important, and much easier to deal with. The greatest delight for us comes from a trusting and loving relationship with Jesus Christ and it’s in his name, we pray. Amen!

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