"Be imitators of God as dear children."
Ephesians 5:1
A young boy had taken a black marker and drew a mustache above his lip. When his mother saw him, she laughed and said, "Son, you look distinguished with a mustache. You look just like your dad." She understood that her son was imitating his dad. Our children may not always listen to what we say, but they often want to be like us. The apostle Paul wrote to believers in Christ to imitate God. Our desire should be to live godly lives.
How can we imitate God? There is one word which answers the question. That word is love. "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16). Jesus is the perfect imitation and express image of God. He taught and demonstrated the love of God. His greatest demonstration of God's love was at the cross (Romans 5:8). Greater love has no man than this. Love is the word that characterizes the Christian life. Without love, it is nothing (1 Corinthians 13).
It's easy to imitate God's love at church on Sunday. It gets somewhat more difficult in the workplace during the week. It may not always be easy at home with the family. And then, there are those people who really try our patience and test our love. God may allow someone in our lives from time to time just to test the reality of His love within us. That's when the test becomes difficult.
You may be tested today. Ask God to fill you with His love. "Be imitators of God as dear children."
Father, love others through us.
