Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life - a Daily DevotionalSample

Being an Imitator of God Being a Christian isn't about making a weekly trip to church. We need to develop the character of God so others can actually see Jesus working in a practical way. Ephesians 5:1 says that we are to be imitators of God. Unfortunately, saying it is a lot easier than actually doing it. So many times we do things that don't reflect God at all. It's easy to get discouraged, give up on and condemn ourselves when we fall short. Thankfully, God isn't bothered that we haven't arrived yet. He knows we're only human. He knows that we're not going to instantly, perfectly mirror Him overnight, but He does want us to continue growing. We're not meant to live stagnant lives, never moving forward in our faith. Where's the adventure in that? We need to be able to look back on our life and see some changes taking place. I used to be a Pharisee. I think I could have been the chief of Pharisees. I had a real religious act going on, but I wasn't really doing anything to truly "imitate" God. At some point, God led me to ask myself: "What am I doing to be more like God? Am I actually helping anybody? Am I just in this thing so God will make my life better?" When we're in a place of questioning, that's the best place to be. It's a place of constantly striving toward being more like Christ. As you're striving, don't fall into the trap of perfectionism and self-condemnation. We all make mistakes but the important thing is to be willing to take steps every day toward being more like God. Prayer Starter: God, I thank You that even though You see my mistakes, You still love me and help me live a godly life. While I refuse to be discouraged by my failures, I also refuse to stay the same. I choose to follow You and imitate You more and more each day.