“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
We can’t imitate someone we don’t know & haven’t studied. A good imitator can mimic behavior, the tone, the facial expressions, & the ticks of the person being imitated. So here is a short list of what I know about God:
- He is love
- He is patient
- He is pure
- He looks out for the weak
- He is a father to the fatherless
- He is just – always doing what is right
- He is tender-hearted
- He is a servant
- He judges wickedness
- He is creative
- He is giving
- He is focused on the good of others
- He protects His people
- He disciplines in love
But lest we think that we are called merely to imitate God from an external perspective Paul reminds us that our motivation should stem from Christ’s love - demonstrated as He gave Himself up for us as an offering & a sacrifice. God is not looking for millions of “mini-me’s” who simply dress up & play the part. Motivation matters & I need to be reminded constantly (as in daily) that God does not want me to dress up & play the role of a Christian….He wants me to be a Christ-follower – not just in my external activities but in the core of my being. In addition to Ephesians 5 this morning…this whole concept was unpacked yesterday at Watermark Community Church when Jonathan Pokluda preached on “Life’s Too Short to Miss the Party” from Luke 15.
