It is natural for children to imitate their parents. Children often have their parent’s nature, their behavior and their actions. You can be around a child and you can see their parents in the way they walk, the way they talk and in the things they do.
While that is true in our earthly families, it is equally true in our heavenly families. Like beloved children, who are ever near the parent, learning, observing and growing, we are brought near to our Heavenly Father so that we might learn His ways and become more like Him. Paul, in the book of Ephesians, calls on the children of God to be imitators of Christ.
PRAYER TIP #27 - Pray to be Imitators of God
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
Ephesians 5:1-2
“Become imitators of God.” This is an amazing privilege, and it undergirds everything about our Christian lives. The reason we can become imitators of God is that we are God’s “dearly loved children.” God isn’t just some distant supreme being who demands our obedience and service. God loves us, deeply and sacrificially, as our Father. So what does it mean to imitate God? It means to “walk in love, just as Christ also loved us”. The word “walk” has to do with our actions and our daily lives. Walking in love is something that we do for people, not just something that we feel for people. In fact, it’s about imitating God’s actions in loving us.
So how did Christ love us?
Christ loved us in this way: He “gave Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Paul is talking about Christ’s costly, sacrificial death on the cross for us. We see here that Christ didn’t just feel for us, and He didn’t just affirm us. He gave himself for us. And that self-giving is a model for us to live by.
People are people, and people are sinners. We can all be hard to love sometimes. But, even though we may not feel like it, and even though people hurt us and annoy us sometimes, we are called to love them. If we only love the people that are easy to love, we are no different from the world.
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35
Can others see that you are a follower of Christ, by the way you love others? Are your actions towards others pointing them to, or away from Christ? My prayer is that our love towards our families, co-workers, waiters, employees, would draw them to the greatest love one could ever know - Christ.
Prayer Points- (Pray over these requests),
Thank You God for the love You have shown toward me.
I praise You for the cross and the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus.
Help me to be an imitator of Christ in how I live and love.
Help me to love others selflessly and sacrificially.
Let my words and actions towards others, point them to You.
Dear Lord,
Thank You God for the love you have shown toward me. I praise You for the cross and the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus. While I was still in sin, You loved me enough to send Your Son to die for me. Help me to be an imitator of Christ in how I live and love. Continue to convict and grow me in the areas that I am weak, that I may be more like Christ. I am weak and fall short, so please help me to love others selflessly and sacrificially. Help me to put other's needs before my own. Let my words and actions towards others, point them to You. Put someone in my path this week, that I may point to You. Do what only You can do in my life.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Comments