How To Go Around Imitating God

 

Each morning I receive an email from Bible Gateway with the verse for the day. After reading various translations on the site, I then select one to post on Twitter, but today’s verse threw me:

 

“Imitate God like His own dear children,” Ephesians 5:1, and I thought, “How can I possibly do that?”

 

I went on to other things that needed tending, but the verse kept coming to mind. When I finally sat down to give it more thought, the creation story in Genesis came to mind.

 

As we follow this first biblical passage about God, we find these first steps toward imitating God:

 

Be creative.

Be a peacemaker, a problem solver. Bring order from chaos.

Be light, and bring light to others.

Be a caretaker of the environment, starting where we are.

Be a protector of animals.

Be aware that all peoples come from the same Creator God, even if they don’t know it.

Be respectful of others and yourself.

Be in constant communion with God.

Be ready to work and ready to rest.

Be Love, Beloved.

 

©2021, Mary Sayler

 

…

Writing in Bible love

As Valentine’s Day approaches, Christian poets and writers have a blessed opportunity to write about love from God’s perspective, which has far greater substance than romantic notions and fuzzy feelings. This biblical view of love remains constant, year-round, so, Lord willing, I’ll be addressing What the Bible Says about Love with appropriate scriptures, prayers, and short devotionals for private use or discussions in your Bible study group.

For example, the posting “The Bible Defines Love” discussed “the love chapter,” I Corinthians 13, reminding me of a poem Sandy Brooks accepted several years ago for Cross & Quill, the newsletter of the former Christian Writers Fellowship International (CWFI) for which she and I both served as directors.


Taking A Bible Stanza
(from I Corinthians 13)

Though I speak with the most angelic voice
heard in human hearts….

Though I resound as a clear bell calling
all readers to ring with praise….

Though I prophesy with power,
decipher mysteries, acquire
insight, and utter wisdom well….

Though I have faith to move
mountains of people with perceptive words
and cast rejection into deep depths of the sea….

Though I write all I have been given
and hand over my body of work
without reimbursement or acknowledgment….

Though I may boast of publication and best-sells….

Without love for God and readers, my work is nothing.

The loving writer-poet must be patient,
kind – not proud.

The loving writer-poet must not insist
“My work, my way!” nor be
manuscripted with resentment,
but rejoice, rejoice in giving voice to truth.

The loving writer-poet bears all
disappointments, believes all
timing comes from God, and has all
hope to end: endure.

The loving writer-poet knows
we know in part, but every part
of every reader needs
The Loving Word of God.

This love story, theme, or purpose
never ends.

poem by Mary Harwell Sayler originally published in Cross & Quill. Used by permission of the author.


~~

© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved.

~~