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Mar 02, 2026 06:00am

Who Are You Imitating?

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“That’s little Chris right there.”

I hear it said often as I watch my nephew Witten do or say something that’s just like his dad. These two are like two peas in a pod. That boy loves his daddy, and he wants to be just like him.

From football to golf, to video games and working out, these two go hand in hand. They’re close. Witten follows him everywhere and wants to be just like him.

I noticed from across the room the two of them sitting on the couch, both in their pullover hoodies and sweatpants, intent on the game and sitting with their legs crossed.

Ephesians 5:1
“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.”

What a beautiful thought: we are God’s children. He is our Father. I just want to sit in that reality for a moment.

How amazing is it that the God of the universe is our Father?

He is the Creator of all, the One who gives life. He has all authority and power. Everything was made by Him and for Him, and He is the King of Kings.

He is our Father.

This Scripture says we are to imitate Him in everything we do. That kind of command requires three things:

God is our Father.

We know Him.

We are close enough to Him to imitate Him.

If He isn’t our Father, we won’t have a desire to be like Him. That must come first. Nothing else will follow without it. We must be saved in order to call God our Father. Our sin separates us from Him because He is holy and righteous. But He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us and be the sacrifice needed to pay for that sin debt. When we put our faith in Jesus, we are redeemed and restored to God, and He becomes our Father.

To imitate someone, we have to do what they do. We have to know them. That goes hand in hand with being close enough to follow their example. How can we know God? He has given us His Word, the Bible. We can study it and discover more about His character. As we learn who He is, we draw closer so we can recognize how and where He is working. Paul’s desire was that believers would imitate God in such a way that when someone saw them, they would see the truth about Him.

My question is, do they see that in us?

What—or who—are we imitating?

There is always someone watching us, just like my nephew watches his dad.

What will they see?

Father, let them see You in me. Forgive me for leading someone astray because of my actions or words. Bring me close to You every day so I can be a better example of who You are. Let me show them the truth of who You are through forgiveness, kindness, obedience to Your Word, and fruitfulness. There is nothing in this world more important than You. Amen.

If you want to know what it looks like to follow Jesus and walk with Him daily, listen—no one else can make that decision for you. This choice is yours alone. No one else will stand with you before God. Let me introduce you to the truth. Let me show you who Jesus is and what it means to be His follower.

Visit follow.lifeword.org or, in Spanish, follow.lifeword.org/Spanish.