"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Eph 4:32-5:2
I'm reading The 5 Love Languages of Children, and while looking up some verses on love, I came across these familiar verses. I've known them for most of my life. However, I don't think I remember ever reading that last verse of chapter 4 with the first verses of chapter 5. (A previous pastor of ours used to say, if you see the word "therefore" you should look back and see what it is there for.) So I went back and read the end of chapter 4. There is the verse I quote to my boys all the time. When there is conflict between them, I remind them of this verse. I ask them to say the words themselves.
Reading those verses together, I was reminded of this:
Our love for others should be a sincere imitation of God's love for us. Just like a little boy imitates his daddy, or a little girl copies her mommy's ways...because they "want to be just like them". It's obvious who my children belong to, both in their looks and actions (for good or bad)! Growing up I met people many times who told me that they knew I was a Johnson girl, because of the shape of my eyes. Apparently, there was an obvious trait my 3 sisters and I shared.
This little guy, well, he looks like a male version of his momma (that's me at the same age, 30 years ago.). He's a miniature of my dad. He does have my husband's brown eyes, but when people see Carter, they immediately say he looks just like me and his Papa. He has since he was born. His twin brother looks very different from him, and Derek, well, he may be a mixture of family traits in his looks, but he definitely has my husband's personality. I often tell Ben that I can understand what his mom went through raising him. :) The family resemblance is overwhelming!
Reading those verses together, I was reminded of this:
Our love for others should be a sincere imitation of God's love for us. Just like a little boy imitates his daddy, or a little girl copies her mommy's ways...because they "want to be just like them". It's obvious who my children belong to, both in their looks and actions (for good or bad)! Growing up I met people many times who told me that they knew I was a Johnson girl, because of the shape of my eyes. Apparently, there was an obvious trait my 3 sisters and I shared.
This little guy, well, he looks like a male version of his momma (that's me at the same age, 30 years ago.). He's a miniature of my dad. He does have my husband's brown eyes, but when people see Carter, they immediately say he looks just like me and his Papa. He has since he was born. His twin brother looks very different from him, and Derek, well, he may be a mixture of family traits in his looks, but he definitely has my husband's personality. I often tell Ben that I can understand what his mom went through raising him. :) The family resemblance is overwhelming!
You can see the resemblance again in my baby. No doubt about it, these boys are mine! :)
Is it obvious we belong to the Father because of the way we love each other? Do my children see the love of Chist in the way that I love them? Is there a "family resemblance"? That's a convicting thought!
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