Imitators

TO READ: Ephesians 5:1-14

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

Ephesians 5:1

Our son Pete wanted a bird! His sister had left for college, and he was feeling lonely. Without giving the matter much thought, I bought him a cockatiel. When Pete emerged from the bathroom after the first and last training session with his new-found friend, “Cornbread” (we found out later he should have been called “Cornelia”) was relegated to a life within the walls of the cage in Pete’s room. “Talk to him, Pete,” I urged my son over the next few weeks; but the novelty of the pet wore off and my urging was to no avail. We donated Cornbread to a friend (now an enemy!) and told her, “Don’t worry when you hear deep breathing in the middle of the night!” The poor bird had heard nothing more than Pete’s deep, slumbering sighs, and so had imitated them! Have you ever heard a cockatiel deep-breathe? It’s eerie.

But all of us learn by imitation, by following others’ examples. Paul said, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). We are to watch carefully, listen acutely, and pick up every inflection of our master’s voice!

Would we want people following our example? The very fact that we are being watched should force us to deal with our erratic behavior and not cause others to stumble. Jesus had some hard words about people who cause others to fall. He said it would be better if stones were tied around their necks and they were cast to the bottom of the sea (Luke 17:2)!