Be Imitators of God

In Ephesians 5:1 Paul exhorts us to "be imitators of God". So what does that mean? How do I imitate God?

Paul starts this verse with "therefore" so I need to look back to see what leads up to that. The previous paragraph - starting at 4:25 - also begins with therefore so I go back even further to Ephesians 4:17. Now I am beginning to see what Paul is talking about.

The non-believers live in the futility of their minds, without understanding. I am to put off the old self with all the impurity of thought and action and to be renewed by the Spirit in my mind. Which is what he also said to the Romans.

So how do I get my mind renewed? It is the work of the Spirit as I read God's word. I can not be holy, faithful, truthful, loving, kind, giving, pure or any of the other traits of God's children without knowing how God would have me live. But, as Pastor P often says, I am to read my Bible not for information but for transformation.

I need to read asking and expecting the Holy Spirit to convict me of sin, to illuminate truth, to affirm what I am getting right, to change my way of thinking about God, about life, about people. Renewing my mind so that I have the mind of Christ.

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and love people. If I do that, and it is impossible without the Spirit of God living in me, I will be an imitator of God. It's not the loving God that gives me problems, it's the loving people. They can be annoying and obnoxious!! Help me, Lord, to love people as You do. You loved people - me - even as we were pounding the nails into your flesh.