Imitating God is something we are to strive to do and be each and every day. Ephesians 5:1 instructs us to imitate God because we are His children. Showing love to others is my first thought, mainly because God is love. Jesus, Himself, gives us a new commandment in John 13:14 that we are to love one another. According to Romans 5:5, every Christian has the power to love others because the Holy Spirit has poured God’s love into our hearts.

Ephesians 4:32 instructs us to  be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave us. Then in Luke 6:36 we are also instructed to be merciful, just as our Father is merciful. This week we’re going to discuss these four attributes of God to understand how to imitate Him properly (there are many more, but this week, only four).

Kindness: is acts of selflessness; compassion done with the intention to bless others. A heart full of love will seek ways to be kind to others.

Tenderheartedness: is having a gentle and sensitive heart. This would include a gentle tone in our voice when speaking; a caring attitude toward others, and will avoid causing pain or distress to others.

Forgiveness: is not harbor bitterness or resentment toward those who have hurt us. When we forgive others, we are set free from the sting of the hurt and the anger for being wronged. Forgiving others opens our heart and mind to receive God’s forgiveness. A forgiving heart will not be vengeful. Forgiving others does not negate a person’s wrong or whether they should be held accountable, it just means you don’t hold it against them; and let God take care of any judgment that might need to be carried out.

Mercy: is withholding judgment and punishment for a wrong that rightfully should be punished. Mercy is not grace. Grace is blessings from God that we don’t deserve, while mercy is the withheld punishments that we do deserve. Matthew 5:7 clearly teaches that it is the merciful who obtain mercy, so, if we want to receive God’s mercy, we need to extend mercy to others.

My prayer for each of you is that God’s love will reign so powerfully in your hearts that you are known for your kindness, tenderheartedness, mercy, and forgiving heart.