Morning Dew
Key Text: Ephesians 5:1 – “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”
I know you have heard the expression ‘like father, like son’. Another one is the ‘fruit never falls far from the tree’, or a ‘chip off the old block’. These statements are an attestation to the fact that we look like and act like our parents. Its amazing how we start noticing that we have our parents mannerisms and habits and this can sometimes be unnerving and annoying. Whilst most of us had great natural parents, I am certain none of us want to be exactly like our parents. We all love a lot of things about our parents, but there are those few things you say God please don’t let me acquire that trait of my father or mother. As true as this is for our earthly parents, as believers in Christ Jesus, we have a spiritual father and a heavenly Father. Both of who we would be totally happy to be like in all things.
Let me explain what I mean. All believers are children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.) Abraham was a man of incredible faith and a friend of God. (2 Chronicles 20:7 – Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?) He fully obeyed God and succeeded in birthing a new nation for God. (Hebrews 11:8 – By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.) In this regard, we should be like Abraham our father. We should completely trust God and walk in absolute faith like our dad did. We should also rise to being friends of God. I would like God to call me His friend, just like He said of my daddy, Abraham. The bible is very clear about how we should emulate Abraham our father. So as children of Abraham, let us live like our father did before God in Faith, devotion, dedication and communion with God.
But we also have a heavenly Father, who has recreated all of us in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. (Only those who have become true followers of Jesus Christ can truly say they are God’s Children). In Ephesians 5:1 the bible encourages us to be imitators of God as His dear children. We should all desire to be like our heavenly Father, especially in the way He loves. God loves absolutely and unconditionally. God expects us to love like Him. I know you might say you can’t love like God, but please understand if you are born again and belong to Christ, the bible tells us in John 1:12 – As many as believe in Him, to them He gave the power to become children of God. If we are children of God, then we have God in us and we really can be like Him. We can love like God. We are like our Heavenly daddy, we have His heart and we have His Spirit, so we can love like Him.
Honestly, think about it. What potential we have as God’s children. What Faith we have as spiritual children of Abraham. What power to obey God and to be friends of God. It is all in our DNA. It is all in us as God’s children. All we need to do is allow the God in us to flow. You might really be surprised what will come out of you when you allow God to act through you. You know that at times we hear ourselves speak like our natural parents, we see ourselves doing what our parents did and it happens without us really thinking about it. It just happens spontaneously. So faith will flow out of you, love will flow from you as you go about recognising that you are a child of God.
It is in the nature of birds to fly, fish will swim, cheetahs will run, so those who are children of God will act like God.
Let’s pray: My Father in heaven, I thank you that you have created me to be like you. I yield myself to you and allow your nature to flow from me to my fellow man. Help me to be an example of your love to my family, friends and the larger world in Jesus name. Amen.