Yes God Can!Sýnishorn

Like Father, Like Son  

I have a running friend who has four young boys between the ages of 6 months and 9 years. They’re always trying to imitate their dad, whether it’s drinking out of a coffee mug, using a foam roller to roll out their legs, or trying some of the same stretches they see him practicing. Whatever they see their father doing, they want to give it a try.

If you’re a parent, you’ve no doubt seen your own kids mimic some of your activities like baking in the kitchen or mowing the lawn with their toy mowers. Kids will even imitate things they see on TV. I remember trying to practice some of the same moves Michael Jordan performed on the basketball court during my teenage years.

As human beings, we are programmed to observe others before copying some of their behaviors. We see the Son of God demonstrating this during his time on earth,

“So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” (John 5:19 NLT)

Jesus was essentially telling the Jewish religious leaders, “Hey, if you have a problem with what I’m doing, you’ll have to take it up with my Dad.”

No wonder Jesus was so intentional about breaking away from the crowds to spend time with His Father (i.e. Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-44; Luke 5:16). He was staying tuned into the Father’s heart and plan for those he would encounter. 

Jesus is our model in seeking the Father’s will for our own lives. There are specific assignments God has for each of us during our time on earth. We must also choose to silence the noise around us in order to tune into the Father’s frequency.

After watching Jesus pray, his disciples couldn’t resist asking him to teach them how to pray. As a result of their curiosity, generations of believers have enjoyed lifting up the Lord’s Prayer as we imitate our Savior (Luke 11:1-4).

Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. Like Father, like Son.

Prayer…

"Jesus, what an example you set for us in relying on your Father and His will. Your life on earth demonstrated an absolute trust in your Abba. As a result, there was no wasted time in your life. It was truly 'like Father, like Son.' We want to follow the example you set for us as we wake up each new day. May the first words that come out of our mouths upon waking be, 'Good morning Father, what would You like to do through me today?' It's in Jesus' name we pray, Amen."