So I was reading this passage in the Bible the other day it struck me hard…Check this out.
In Ephesians 5:1 it says that we need to be “Imitators of God.” I read that, and I thought maybe it was some kind of miss print… are you kidding, me imitate Him?
I even looked it up to see if that word “imitate” really meant, Imitate. and low-and-behold, It did! So I started pray and really think about what would have to happen in my life for me to be more like my holy Father. I came up with three things…
First of all I realized that my life is a story. I can choose to be the author and put on my life’s pages what I want, or I can hand the pen over to God and have him write the daily words of my life. I have already given my life over to God by believing upon His son, Jesus Christ. But every day, I need to make sure that I am leaving the pen in God’s hand and not trying to do life without His input.
The second thing that I realized is that, because I gave my life to Christ, there is a great ending to my story. You see, I deserved a bad one. Because of my sin, I should be separated from God and all His Goodness forever. but when I received salvation in Jesus, my bad ending was erased and in its place, God wrote, “And you will live happily ever after with me.” How great is that!
You can tell by the way we live—we don’t always think about the end because we are so focused on the here and now. The truth is that there is a conclusion to this life, and without Jesus it’s hopeless. But with God writing the content on our pages and changing the ending, we are given great purpose to live. This is then the fuel in my tank as I drive myself to Christ-likeness.
My third realization was this: My pages are tainted with the sin that I have and will commit, but those things can be eternally erased with God as my life-story author. I could try as hard as I want to cover my mistakes up, but no matter how hard I try there will always been eraser marks…and even those like little rubber nubbin thing. But When God writes my story – When I give God my faith – the only eraser marks are found on the hands and feet of Jesus. I can strive to imitate God daily knowing that He will give my strength through the holy spirit and grace when I miss the mark.
The passages in God’s word that really drove this home for me was Hebrews 12:1-4
Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
This reminds of a time that I was standing on a high cliff in Ireland looking out into the ocean. There below me on a small clef stood a lamb. how it got there I have no idea because if it moved in any direction it would plummet hundreds of feet to its death. Perhaps it got out there in hopes of finding the perfect blade of grass.
That’s just like me sometimes. I stand on the slippery slope between eternal separation from God or safety with my Shepard. I think that I can handle life on my own, but without Him my eternal death is inevitable. But if I let God be in charge of my life and its content, I can rest in his green pastures of peace.
Why wouldn’t I let him write my story? He is my creator. he knows me better than I know myself.
