Imitation

Well, we all have baggage. I know I do and I have a lot of it. However, I am so thankful for Christ. I was a wayward girl, and He saved me from a lot of yucky stuff. I am also thankful to Christ that He does not want us remaining as we were. He desires for us to become as gold refined and that is pretty radical to me. But, the process of getting there is tough. I mean, gold has to go through some major heat to get to that most precious and beautiful state. The major heat causes all the impurities to be removed from the gold so that it comes out untainted.

I am called to be refined also. Jesus does not desire that I remain impure and set in my old ways. He desires that I strive to be more like Him. And to do that, refining must happen.

Now, I am not going to lie. Refining totally bites! I will be refined until the day I see my Lord and Savior face to face. But, I consider it worth it. What is so bad about becoming more Christ-like?? Jesus was pretty radical! He loved those who nobody else wanted to love. He healed people. He challenged people to follow Him above all. He took two loaves and two fishes and fed 5000 people. He suffered and died on a Cross, so that I would be saved from my sin. Wow, that is who I want to be more like.

Ephesians 5:1 says, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children: and walk in love just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, as a fragrant aroma."

So, we need to imitate God. But how can we imitate Him if we aren't in the Word learning about what He was like. I encourage you, if you aren't in His word daily, start working out a time to meet Him in His word sometime in your day. This week in our youth group, Michael and I are going to begin to challenge them to start spending 30 minutes with God everyday. The point is to get consistent. You will miss days and times, its prone to happen. The point is start making it a habit, and one you look forward to everyday.

We need to walk in love. Why? Well the verse tells us 'walk in love, just as Christ also loved you'.. Again its all about imitation. We should love because Christ loves!

Lately, this last part of the verse has been really hard. I have a lot of baggage and anger, more than love, has been creeping out. So, I have been reading Proverbs 15 and surrounding myself with verses about having a gently and quiet spirit, etc. I tell you what. When you want to change and be refined, Satan is right there. I have had a couple of tests the past few weeks, that I know God has allowed in order to refine me, but I have failed them miserably. I look back now and realize they are tests and I am aware that I have not been putting into practice what I know the Word of God says. I am so thankful to the Lord that He is ever so patient with me. I am glad that I now know that I need to be wise and put into practice what I learn from the Word and be victorious.

Your challenge today: Make time for God and start learning what He was like and take what you learn and live it out everyday in all situations of life. Let me know how you do and I will do likewise.

Just a Woman of God trying to get through the day,
Susan