"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children." (Ephesians 5:1)
For weeks we were excited to report of how our prayer life had become more focused on giving thanks (Eph 1:16); how our minds began racing about the possible works God had prepared in advance for us (Eph 2:10); how we felt more powerful that week knowing, really knowing, God's love for us (Eph 3:18,19); and how we could speak truthfully, avoid foul-language and suppress bouts of anger (Eph 4:15, 29, 31).
Then we hit a wall in the very first verse of chapter 5. "Be imitators of God", it said. How could we possibly imitate God? He is Spirit, perfectly Holy, constantly Righteous, extraordinarily Creative, supremely Powerful. Adjectives fail to describe him. By contrast, we are but flesh, too weak to reliably be any part of what God is. The very command seemed to mock our approach to this study and diminish into irrelevance the progress we thought we'd made.
But it was at this verse where our learning really began. The prior weeks of study and application experiments were just a warm-up. As we studied, prayed and discussed this passage of scripture, it became clear to us that God's command was not to do the Christian-walk perfectly as God is but to be the Christ-one that we already are. The rest of the verse reminds us that we can imitate God precisely because we are His children and that's what kids do. Imitation becomes easy for them when they know they are loved by a parent; and God calls us dearly loved.
Recently my teenage son shared his personal goals with me from his journal. As I read about his desires for his vocational and spiritual development, I was halted by the one that read, "I want to become just like dad." I was humbled and honored. Now, I know that he won't achieve this goal perfectly, nor should he. There are many things that I do that are not worthy of emulation. Yet, I can't help being honored by his desire and I can't help thinking how God is honored when I make it my fervent desire to be just like my heavenly Dad, however imperfectly I am at doing it.
Then we hit a wall in the very first verse of chapter 5. "Be imitators of God", it said. How could we possibly imitate God? He is Spirit, perfectly Holy, constantly Righteous, extraordinarily Creative, supremely Powerful. Adjectives fail to describe him. By contrast, we are but flesh, too weak to reliably be any part of what God is. The very command seemed to mock our approach to this study and diminish into irrelevance the progress we thought we'd made.
But it was at this verse where our learning really began. The prior weeks of study and application experiments were just a warm-up. As we studied, prayed and discussed this passage of scripture, it became clear to us that God's command was not to do the Christian-walk perfectly as God is but to be the Christ-one that we already are. The rest of the verse reminds us that we can imitate God precisely because we are His children and that's what kids do. Imitation becomes easy for them when they know they are loved by a parent; and God calls us dearly loved.
Recently my teenage son shared his personal goals with me from his journal. As I read about his desires for his vocational and spiritual development, I was halted by the one that read, "I want to become just like dad." I was humbled and honored. Now, I know that he won't achieve this goal perfectly, nor should he. There are many things that I do that are not worthy of emulation. Yet, I can't help being honored by his desire and I can't help thinking how God is honored when I make it my fervent desire to be just like my heavenly Dad, however imperfectly I am at doing it.
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