Mimics

Eph 5:1

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.

How many of us have watched children grow and develop. It appears they develop their own personality, their own way of doing things. In many ways, each of us is unique. Yet each of us are imitators of those closest to us - for many - our parents.

10 years ago I visited my sister in Australia. She'd lived there for 10 years and had had little close contact with us for several years before. Mum surprised us with a visit part way through and one night we went out for a meal. Liz and Mum sat side by side and it was startling how similar they were. I'm not just meaning their appearance (although mum's hair was grey :-) ), it was their mannerisms.

We pick up little nuances, such as posture, fidgets, facial expressions etc without realising we're doing it. We pick up phrases and ideals without realising we're doing it. How many times as a child/teenager did I hear my mum say things which annoyed me and yet those very words and tones I use with my own children these days.

God wants us, as His children, to mimic Him. It's a bit hard just through reading a lot of Laws to know the Father - although King David's love for his Father enabled Him to know Him. God helped us by sending His Son, Jesus, as an example of how his Law is to be lived. What it means to live the way God intended us to live.

How often have young people been told "What would Jesus say if he saw you doing that???" When really they should be encouraged to think "What would Jesus DO in this situation?"

We need to be imitators of the perfect example. We need to be reading God's word, along with spending time with Him each day. That way, it's so much easier to become an imitator. We cannot imitate someone we don't know. We need to get to know God intimately if we are to have any hope of imitating Him like a child imitates his parents.