Chip off the ol' block

Be imitators of God as dear children.— Ephesians 5:1

I’ll never forget the time I was asked to bring my family to a banquet where I was to be the speaker. After dinner, my son Matt came up to me and asked to sit on my lap. “Sure.” I said and picked him up.

Over the course of his young life, Matt had watched me strike up conversations with lots of strangers. As an unrepentant people-person, in restaurants I would often look at the server’s name tag and start my order with, “Hey, Barbara, how are you today?” To which my kids would inevitably say, “Dad, you embarrass us!”

But now, sitting on my lap, Matt turned to the “big-shot” organizer of the banquet next to me, read his name tag, and stuck out his little hand saying, “Hey, John, how are you?” A proud moment for me! He was acting just like his dad — a chip off the ol’ block!

This is exactly what Paul had in mind when he exhorted us to “be imitators of God” (Eph. 5:1). But life has a way of making us anything but like God. We are often uncaring, short-tempered, grumpy, and unforgiving — flat-out too much like ourselves and not enough like Him!

Remember, we are saved to bear the Family resemblance, to become increasingly more like Jesus and less like ourselves.    — Joe Stowell

O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.      — Chisholm

READ: Ephesians 5:1-5

Every child of God should have a growing likeness to the Father.

The Bible in one year:

• Ephesians 1-6

• Proverbs 16:22-33