Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.
Ephesians 5:1
I always wanted to be a basketball star. It began with helping my dad put up the basketball goal over the garage and then finally moving it to a pole on the driveway side after breaking a garage door window. I thought the shot was good, but it was short and bounced up and broke the window. I wasn’t much of a star that day.
I grew up with all the stars. Dr. J, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan. I wanted to be just like them. I would play through scenarios in my mind while playing by myself. Down by 2 with 3 seconds to go in the game. I’ve got the ball and have to hit a three-point shot to win the game. Michael Jordan is covering me, and the task seems impossible. I bring the ball in and 5-4-3-2, I fake the shot, dribble around Jordan and sink the three for the win! The NBA Championship is mine! That scenario played through my mind so many times.
There was just one problem. I was only 5 feet tall. Short runs in my family, and it was never in the cards for me to be in the NBA.
I taught middle school band.
Imitate God
Talk about the impossible. Yes. Paul is asking us to imitate the Creator and Sustainer of the universe who is, without question, perfect. That is an impossible task for us. Paul is asking us to do the impossible. Why? Because as Christ-followers, we need a goal. We need a father to look towards as a guide for living. Do you remember having this conversation? “He dear, we have to be very careful what we say around junior now because He repeats everything he hears.” This is the imitation Paul is describing. To imitate is to mimic.
As difficult as it seems, that is the goal. How close are you to reaching that goal? While it may seem impossible, it doesn’t change the fact that God sets the goal.
Children repeat what they see and hear, and that is precisely how Paul describes our attitude in imitation.
Imitate Love
It doesn’t get any easier as the passage progresses. Paul then asks us to love others. I don’t know about you, but some people are challenging to love. They say the wrong things, do the wrong things, act the wrong way, and generally believe the wrong way. They hurt you and use you. But, Paul tells us to love them as Christ did. He says to “walk in love.”
That’s easy for Paul to say. Not really. Paul had his own set of relationship issues to deal with as his changed life put him on the front lines of hatred and false accusations from others.
The kind of love Paul is referring to is a selfless kind of love that places the needs of others before our own needs. That isn’t easy. Paul goes on to illustrate that love by giving us a picture of what Christ did for us. He died for us. I know for many that is a foreign concept. But it is a reality.
Christ took the penalty and satisfied God’s wrath against us because of our sins and died on the cross as punishment. That unspeakable love for us is the same kind of love we are to have for others. Can you do it? Can you express the kind of love Christ had for you?
When a person places their faith in what Jesus did on the cross for them, their love life should change. You should go from liking people to loving people in a self-sacrificing and generous way that places their needs ahead of your own.
The clock is counting down, and Tommy sinks the shot. Why did I tell you that story? Because I was doing my best to imitate some of the greatest basketball players of all time. Same shots, same moves, same last-second buzzer-beaters. But there is no way I could imitate them. I tried. But Paul encourages us to daily walk in a way that demonstrates Christ’s love for others. It’s difficult, but are you up for the task?