Who am I imitating?

I so often get tickled watching my 9 year old son imitate his daddy.  From the things he says, to how he acts, and how he dresses.... His boots have to sit the same way and his clothes even have to hang the same way. 

It blesses me to see that he wants to be just like his daddy.  A few years ago we were in my moms empty church getting ready to do some pictures of the kids and Bub was all dressed in a suit and tie and marched up behind the pulpit and even began to preach, "just like his daddy"

He sets up his farm in his room and takes care of the animals, builds barns and fences, and sells and trades cattle, "just like his daddy"

Children want to imitate those they look up to.  They want to be just like the ones they admire the most. 

What about the times our children say things or do things that break our hearts?  Their ugly attitudes, harsh tones, evil looks.  Who are they imitating then? 

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

We call ourselves "Christians" but how often do we actually imitate CHRIST?

Does Christ shine when we overslept and are running late in the morning, get stuck in traffic for longer than planned, get another bill in the mail that we don't have the money to pay, have a fight with our spouse, or just lost our job?  Or does it reflect we have been imitating someone else? 

When your kids get hurt, mad, or frustrated, how do they react?  Is it the same way you react to less than desirable circumstances?  Do we follow God's Word when it says in Ephesians 5:20 to give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ...  or are we grieving the Holy Spirit with bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking? 

I know more times than I care to count I see responses to circumstances in my children that is like looking in a mirror that I am not proud of.  As I begin to fuss and scold them for how they are acting or something they said or the way they said it, conviction begins to set in that they learned that from me. 

Sweet Jesus Please Forgive me for the many times that my thoughts, speech, and behavior has not imitated You!  Your Word instructs me to be filled with the Spirit and that is not an occasional process.  Just as we need food for our physical bodies to function at least three times a day if not more,  so much more do we need Your filling for our spiritual bodies.  Daily we are drained from all that the enemy tries to attack us with and Daily we must refuel. 

Help us Father to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called (Eph 4:1) and live in a way that honors and pleases You! 

I want my family, friends, coworkers, and everyone I come in contact with to see me imitate my ABBA (Daddy) Father. 

Working to imitate You,
Jenni