Exhortation
“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.”
—3 John 11
Life is imitation—
- children, what they see their parents doing
- students, the way their peers talk
- wiser (?) students, the mannerisms of their teachers
- citizens, the actions of governments
- many people, the lifestyles and clothing choices of famous actors and musicians
Imitation is a principle built in to life. But you must choose what to imitate. Imitate evil—you will be molded into the image of evil. Imitate God—you will be renewed in His image (love, light, holiness, wisdom, strength, goodness).
God calls us to imitate Him as His dearly loved children, but too often we have imitated the evil examples of those around us. Is your imitation directed to greater love for God and love for your neighbor, or only to self-promotion?
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