As I think about the scripture Matthew 19:14 that says “let the children come to me…the kingdom of God belongs to those such as these,”  I often think this is talking about FAITH and having faith like a child, but as a parent, we can see more to it than that.  Our children learn by WATCHING our actions, not by what they are TOLD to do.

Recently I was in the whole 2nd shift routine – working moms know it: work all day outside the home and then come home to your “2nd shift” of work: cooking dinner, cleaning the dishes, doing the laundry, getting the kids their baths and into bed.  Anyway I was in the kitchen trying to figure out what I was going to fix for dinner while my son shot 20 questions at me, one frequent question is “Can I play a video game?” and another is “Can I have something to eat?”  As I’m in the midst of making dinner, the obvious answer to a snack question is “no”.  These questions are asked almost every day at the same time of day.  So recently when that question was shot at me while I stared in the refrigerator, I closed the door and play-slammed my head in the door, thinking “REALLY?!? You KNOW the answer to this already!”

A few short days later as we are all kicked back in our living room, the hubby watching TV and I on my laptop, my son was getting a little hyped up to which my husband replied “Go upstairs and play.”  At this point my son walks through to the dining room on his way toward the stairs when he stops and play-bangs his head on a chair.  Yes, sometimes you just don’t want to see yourself reflected in your children!  LOL!  But this is a proven point that children LEARN by what they see and what they can imitate through play!

God expects us to be IMITATORS, Christ followers, so not only do we need to have FAITH like a child, we need to IMITATE like a child.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; & walk in love, just as Christ loved you & gave Himself up for you,” – Ephesians 5:1-2a

I challenge you to begin to think about your relationship with Jesus.  Do you really try imitate Him?