Summary: Paul opens up the fifth chapter of the book of Ephesians by saying, “Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Do you realize that people look up to you? It is a sobering thought, yet God has given his spirit to empower us to imitate who he is to a watching world.
Paul opens up the fifth chapter of the book of Ephesians by saying, “Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” What does it mean to be an imitator? Here is the dictionary definition of an imitator - to mimic; impersonate; to make a copy of; to have or assume the appearance of or to resemble.
Do you realize that people look up to you? Do you realize that you look so much more important as a church pastor or staff person then you see your very own self? Our offhanded opinions about nonessential matters are heard by people as authoritative.
As I think about the attributes that I believe God wants me to imitate, mimic, impersonate or become a copy of, I think of The Lord Jesus Christ. The book of Hebrews opens with these words: Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. Jesus was meek. Jesus was loving. Jesus prayed. Jesus wept. Jesus befriended the lowly. And the list goes on...
If I were to take a snapshot of my life, would I want a small group of people to imitate me? Yikes. This sobering thought, literally, can shut me down for how inadequate I truly am. However, God has given me his spirit to empower me to somehow successfully imitate who he is to a watching world.