"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children."
I think about many dear children I think about my children, your children. I often hear stories about how people unintentionally adversely affect them by the things they say and do. In my travels, I've learned a very Important psychodynamic counseling principle, "children learn what is modeled to" them." In other words, how we behave is how they will behave.
As a pastoral counselor, what I read in this verse is that God is teaching us the same Principle." imitate God"! as our loving parent, God wants to teach us Everything he knows. Everything we need to know about life.
The reading goes on to speak about living a life of love. Because of love, Jesus submits to his father's bidding. Jesus allowed himself to be sacrificed for us!
Is that as imitators of God what we are called to do? I know many parents who would throw themselves in front of a bus for their children! They are parents who gladly sacrifice their time, their money, their Everything for their children. Yet being a good parent also involves making the hard choices. We discipline, we put our kids in time out, we take away privileges, these things are painful to both the child and the parent. God, like a Loving Parent, made a tough decision for the sake of all his children. He sacrificed his first child, Jesus, on the cross for our sake. Don't get me I'm not saying Jesus did anything wrong, so, he had to be disciplined. What I am saying is that as parents, we have to do certain things, or else our children can end up with a life full of trouble. As a parent, God had to make a hard choice for the sake of all his children so that we would not end up in a world full of trouble. As Christians someday, we will see the world that God envisions for us a world of Love end Beauty as only God can create.
As a pastoral counselor, I meet people who suffer from the consequences of having parents that do not set a Godly example for their children. It is an unfortunate situation to see. God's God's words in your mind al "ys, "imitate" God!" IGod's God's children can successfully do This, then maybe so I'll be out of a job! The world will not need Pastoral counselors anymore!
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