Character Calling: ImitatorsSample

FIRST THINGS FIRST. What do you think lies at the very core, the center, of being an imitator of Jesus? Here’s a hint - it’s not in the outward appearance - we’re not asked to grow beards, wear robes, and sandals! It is how we love and act toward others. It means we learn what he values, how he behaves, responds, and what his priorities are. And then we follow those same patterns.

Throughout Scripture, our never-changing God gave us commandments so we could understand the behaviors and priorities that he wants for us. The ten commandments are a key example where he clearly explained how to best follow and honor him, and the first four specifically call us to love God with all that we are and do.

Today we read the first two commandments where God asked us to make him the top priority, over any other god or idol. Another “god” or idol is anything or anyone aside from God that we give more attention and devotion to in our lives.

When we focus on a part of the creation instead of the Creator, we get a distorted perception of God which damages our relationship with him. But when our Creator God is our main focus and top priority, everything in our character and behavior flows from that ONE choice we make.

The Creator must have first place in all things, to be the only One we worship. God began with this request, and Jesus echoed it centuries later in Mark 12:30 - asking us to love God with ALL we have and ALL we are.

The most beautiful part though is that Jesus didn’t just tell us to do it in his teachings; he modeled how to love the Father with his life. The key to Christ-like character is to imitate all we see in Jesus. So today, let’s begin by choosing to put God first.

Consider: Is there anything you love more than you love God? Think about how you spend your time, where you spend your money, and what your thoughts drift toward. How do they compare with what Jesus tells us in Mark 12?