Rev. Katie Montgomery Mears

Ephesians 4:25-5:2 (CEB)
4:25 Therefore, after you have gotten rid of lying, Each of you must tell the truth to your neighbor because we are parts of each other in the same body. 26 Be angry without sinning. Don’t let the sun set on your anger. 27 Don’t provide an opportunity for the devil. 28 Thieves should no longer steal. Instead, they should go to work, using their hands to do good so that they will have something to share with whoever is in need.

29 Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say. 30 Don’t make the Holy Spirit of God unhappy—you were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Put aside all bitterness, losing your temper, anger, shouting, and slander, along with every other evil. 32 Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ.

5:1 Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children. 2 Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God.

Reflection:
Over the past few months, Poppy has been imitating us more and more. It started when my husband Whitney would stick out his tongue at her. She stuck her tongue out right back at him! When we blow raspberries, she puts her lips together and blows them too. I remember when Mary Holland was little and she started imitating me raising my arms when I talked. Up to that point, Whitney didn’t think anyone could be more expressive with their hands than me, but Mary Holland raised the bar with her animation! One of the ways that babies’ brains develop is through imitation and so it makes sense that our kids begin to speak and act like us at a young age. 

But it doesn’t end in childhood. The adage about becoming like the company you keep holds true throughout our lives. We subconsciously mimic and pick up habits from the people we are with the most. 

In the verses just before today’s reading, Paul reminds the people that they are not to live like the Gentiles any longer now that they are followers of Jesus. Instead of patterning their lives on ignorance, closed hearts, doing only what feels good, and greed (4:17-19), they are to be so enmeshed in the Holy Spirit (4:23) that they cannot help but imitate God. In this passage, Paul instructs the people to become imitators of God by following the example that Jesus set. 

Before we can do this, we have to set aside our old ways. We have to give up the former things — our propensity to lie, to become sinfully angry, to steal, to speak unkindly, to be bitter. The way we do that is by making the choice to turn away from the world and the people who encourage us to imitate them to get ahead or to stay in the “in crowd.”  And then we make the choice to turn towards Jesus through prayer, reading scripture, and spending time with other Christ followers so that we are so drenched in Jesus’ love and mercy that we cannot help but become imitators of him. 

The fruit we bear – whether good or bad – serves as our litmus test for who we are imitating. When I am inclined towards lying, losing our temper, bitterness, and resentment, it becomes a warning sign that I am imitating the world around us rather than Jesus. It reminds me to slow down and to be more intentional about my relationship with Jesus. 

When you consider your own life, what kind of fruit have you been bearing lately? Does it reflect an imitator of the world or an imitator of God? 

Prayer:
Loving God, please give us discernment so that we aren’t influenced by the world around us. We want to be imitators of you instead. We want to be all of the things Paul described — truth-tellers, peacemakers, hard workers, encouragers, joyful, and forgiving. Help us to set aside our old ways. We love you and pray this in the name of our redeemer, Jesus. Amen.