The Good LifeSample

The word “imitate” means to take or follow as a model. When we hear the word imitate, we often think of some puppet on strings being forced and told what to do and where to go. Let me give you a different way to think about this word. Think about someone copying an influential person in their life. Maybe someone copies a parent, sibling, or small group leader in the way they shoot a basketball or in the songs they sing. We tend to imitate the influential people in our lives simply because we love them and look up to them. This is also what it means for us to imitate God.

Not because God forces us or that we’re puppets controlled by God. Instead, we do this because we love God and the Spirit transforms us to be more like God in the way we live. So how does this happen? The Bible is really helpful with this. Through the beautiful stories in Scripture, we learn who God is and what God is like. These stories show us how to love others, treat people with kindness, live with self-control, and more! Jesus, who is God in a human body, actually lived this way. He was the perfect example of how to be human. The Spirit helps us imitate Jesus’ life, which means we imitate God. So, this week, focus on living in a way that imitates God. You can read stories about Jesus (in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) to become more familiar with how He lived. Then maybe you choose to imitate God by treating others with kindness, showing love to your friends, or using self-control to make good decisions. Pick one way to imitate God this week and be intentional in how you live.

Written by Gracyn, age 15, from Orange City, FL, USA