Mission Impossible...

Ephesians 5 took me captive today only two words into the chapter. I wasn't ready for it. You know, like when your kid sneaks up on your while your napping on the couch and jumps! Took me by surprise and wouldn't let me go.

The chapter starts with this two word statement, "imitate God."

I know, Right! Crazy! Impossible! Out-of-your-mind! No way, no how! It's like standing at the entrance to the Empire State building and someone says, "jump!" Playing one on five with the 2010 Celtics (go C's!) and people expecting you to win! It would be easier to say, "hey mountain, go through yourself in the ocean!"

It's times like this I wish I could be plugged into the Matrix - at least I could have a hope of figuring out how to "bend the rules" of the computer generated world. Man, I wish I would have studied my Jedi handbook more thoroughly!

To imitate God seems like an incredibly difficult task! How could Paul ask, or expect that we would be able to do this? Let's start the list and see where we get.

1. Create everything out of nothing. Piece-of-cake.
2. Play in the mud and come up with a perfectly balanced and working man. Child's play.
3. Come up with Ten laws that would perfectly control the civilized world. Simple.
4. Send your only son to die the worst death imaginable for people who don't even care...

And all the while, love. Forgive. Extend mercy. Show grace.

I can't do it. Can't be done. It's impossible.

Thank goodness Paul didn't stop with those two words. How do we imitate God?

1. Love. Love even before you are loved. Love first. Love those who don't love you yet. Love even those who you think hate you. Love those who do hate you.
2. No sexual immorality (tough, but doable). No impurity (hard, not impossible). No Greed (only mildly difficult). Obscene stories (done). No foolish talk (does he know I am a Landreth?). No coarse jokes (nearly eradicated).

Instead - be thankful to God. Thankful He is God, and I am not. Thankful that getting an A on my imitating God performance is not required. Thankful that He gave the Holy Spirit to help with the process. Thankful that when I am weak and fail, He is strong and prevails - He set the standard and He lifts me up to meet it.

What a challenge. What a calling. What a task. What a God. What am I waiting for...