Today’s Devotional: “Become a God Imitator”

Here’s Something To Consider As We Enter This New Year!

Good role models are hard to find. Many people today model their lives after the rich and famous only to find that they drifted to the dark side.

This, however, was never God’s design. Instead, God wanted us to model our lives after His precepts and ways and sent Jesus to give us the ultimate example to follow.

The Apostle Paul said, “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7)

Paul and his gang modeled their lives after Jesus Christ and then became role models for others to follow. Therefore, being imitators of God produces transformed lives.

While there are those whom we can safely imitate in their devotion to God, ultimately the one we need to pattern our life after is the Lord. Notice again what Paul said, “And you became followers of us and of the Lord.” And to the church in Ephesus, he said, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” (Ephesians 5:1)

They followed the Lord, as well as the Apostle Paul, so closely that their example of living a godly life was known throughout the region.

So how can we be such a God imitator?

This can only happen when we take time in God’s word, the Bible, especially the gospels, and see how Jesus lived His life.

Jesus knew the word, and through the word was able to defeat Satan’s temptations. Three times Jesus thwarted Satan’s temptations by quoting the Scriptures saying, “It is written” (Matthew 4:4-7).

Jesus’ prayer life was also so effective that the disciples requested to learn it even over that of preaching, teaching, healings, and miracles. One of Jesus’ disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray,” and Jesus then gave to them what we know today as the Lord’s Prayer.

When times of affliction come and we’re such imitators of Christ, that is when the joy of the Holy Spirit overtakes our lives and we become those living loving examples for others to follow.