What Kalena is teaching me about God

These days, our home is full of excitement as our little girl Kalena learns new things almost every day. It is so adorable (to her parents at least!) to watch her wave her little hand when someone waves to her. She likes to try and make the same sounds that she hears. She loves to imitate people. She laughs when we laugh and imitates many of our actions. It is a little scary at times! She loves to pull shoes out of the closet and books off of my bookcases and has a seemingly overwhelming compulsion to get access to my Mac. The amazing thing to me is that she is imitating everything that her dad and mom does. She sees us go into the closet, taking books off of the bookcase and wants to do the same. So recently my computer screen has a few little fingerprints and a few of my books have a few less pages. But she is doing her best to imitate her parents.

Recently I have been thinking about the text of Ephesians 5 where it says “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.” We need to be imitating God in our every action. In what areas do we need to imitate God? We get the answer from Ephesians 5 as well.

“And live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person–such a man is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

God, we have a big task in trying to imitate you, help us to be more effective at it.