Monday Morning Encouragement -- Imitate The Father

 

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"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1 ESV)

One of my favorite things to do is watch YouTube short videos of children doing cute things, especially little boys imitating their fathers. There's just something endearing about it, and I think it illustrates the confidence the child has that he is loved by his father, and which compels him to imitate what he does.

If the imperfect love of an earthly father is able to inspire his child to emulate him, how much more should the perfect love of our Heavenly Father stir us to imitate Him. We are His beloved children. So beloved that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Our response to that love -- our very act of worship (see Romans 12) -- is to obey His commandment to "love others". His perfect love is our starting point.

As Andrew MacLaren writes:

"Realise that you are beloved children, and then set to work to live accordingly. If we are ever to do what is our bounden duty to do, in all the various relations of life, we must begin with recognising, with faithful and grateful hearts, the love wherewith God has loved us. We are to think much and confidently of ourselves as beloved of God, and that, and only that, will make us loving to men."

The more I understand God's love for me expressed in His unbelievable sacrifice on Calvary, and the more I daily take hold of that love with a desire to be more like Him and less like me, the more natural it becomes to love others. 

And while I'll never do this perfectly this side of Heaven, I do desire to be more like my Father.

Today's music video Love Like Them Jesus by Casting Crowns is one that inspires me to love others by loving them like Jesus loves. I hope it inspires you, too.

I love you, I'm thinking of you, and I'm praying for you.