“Imitate God in everything you do.”
(Ephesians 5:1)
Our neighbors have an eleven-month old daughter. Because most of her grandparents live in another state, Reid and I are designated her surrogate grandparents. We call her “Peanut.” She’s a little doll who we are very much enjoying watching grow and learn new things about the world she lives in. Recently, Peanut has begun imitating the canine member of their household. That would be their boxer Betty, Peanut’s attentive companion and friend. When Betty barks, Peanut barks. If Betty howls, Peanut howls also. Peanut has recently even added sticking out her tongue and panting like Betty does. All this brings laughter to her mom and dad, as well as everyone else.
We humans find it easy to imitate one another. Think back to when you were a child. You saw someone you liked or respected, and found yourself imitating them. It could have been a parent, older sibling, neighbor, or other family member. Imitating one another seems to come naturally to us.
The Bible tells us to “imitate God in everything we do.” At first that sounds like a monumental task. Imitate God! Are you kidding me? But don’t panic. Everything God asks us to do in imitating him is reasonable, sensible, plausible, and attainable. This verse does not ask us to do one thing that God does not give us the ability to do.
Just read verses 2 through 18 of Ephesians chapter 5. The things we can do to imitate God are to love, be sexually pure, don’t be greedy, or obscene or foolish in the way we talk. These verses also warn us not to be fooled by people who try to make excuses for their sin. In fact, we are told to not even participate in the things they participate in. We are also admonished to take no part in any evil or dark deeds, but rather expose them. We are to be light in this dark world. We are not to live like fools, but rather like wise persons. We are told not to act thoughtlessly or like a drunken fool. And verse 20 rounds out this directive with, “give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Imitating God is not difficult, especially when we remember that God has placed his Spirit within us to help us live the kind of life he wants us to. I mean, who better to imitate God than God himself. It is certainly easier than imitating a dog.
Darlene