Ephesians 5: God My Father

I drive with my wrist and the funny thing is I never realized it until someone pointed it out to me one day. I drive with my wrist because my father drives with his wrist and I am my father’s son. Similarly, I often miss the ramifications of being God’s child. How many children turn out to be so much like their parents just by the nature of the relationship? I see much of my own father in me whom I tried so hard to please as a child growing up. I took on much of his character simply by spending time with him and trying to please him. Is this true of our relationship with God? Do we spend enough intimate time with God that we start to naturally become like him?

Paul then calls us to live a life of love just as Christ did. This changes my perspective to action. This is not about just my relationship with God, but it affects the way I treat others. Christ gave his life so that God would receive honor and glory. I don’t know if any of us will be called to lay our life down in a single moment like Christ did, but I know I am called to lay down my life every day. What does that look like in our daily routine? Is my life a pleasing aroma to God?

Paul takes the rest of the chapter to lay out some instruction on how to live our lives so that we are a pleasing aroma to God, but it starts with us being child-like imitators. I could never say it any better than how Eugene Peterson says it in The Message.

“Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”

Only by spending intimate time with God can I imitate God, and “Love like that”.

Posted By Jim