Be Imitators of God

Since Debbie and I announced our plans to adopt from the DRC, we have been overwhelmed with kind responses. Some have congratulated us as if the baby were already here. Many have promised to pray diligently and support us faithfully throughout the process. A few, and this fills our hearts with joy, have even began to consider adopting a little one into their own family! Most of the responses have been very positive, but many people still ask the question “Why?”. Now, they don’t always ask this with words. Sometimes they ask with their tone of voice or facial expression, but they ask it all the same. It’s an understandable question. Why are you adopting? Is there something wrong physically preventing you from having kids? Why Africa? Are you crazy? All of these questions are legit, and yes, we just might be crazy! Questions like these are one reason we wanted to have an Adoption Open House early on in the process. This Thursday night at Gum Springs Baptist Church, we will try to answer these questions and give everyone the details on how God is leading us. Until then, here is part of our thought process.

Supplies and decorations for the Open House! Buttons will be given to those who are willing to donate!

Ephesians 5:1 “Be imitators of God”

When I became a Christian, one of the first verses I was pointed toward was Ephesians 5:1. There scripture says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” I memorized this verse and thought about it over and over in my mind. From my spiritual infancy, I knew that God wanted me to be more like Him. So I started with what I knew about God, and then I tried to obey. The idea of imitating God is not foreign to us. We know that we should be more like Jesus. This is God’s goal for our life; to conform us the image of His Son (see Romans 8:29). Ephesians 5:1 has always maintained a special place in my life. God is holy, so I want to be holy. Jesus loved, so I want to love. Jesus forgave, so I want to forgive. And so on. In the past two years, Debbie and I have walked through some difficult times. God has used these difficulties to build our character, strengthen our marriage, and teach us about faith. God is in the habit of using suffering to sanctify us! (see Romans 5:3-4, James 1:1-2). He has also been revealing more of His heart to us by teaching us about Holiness and Redemption. God is holy, so we want our lives to be full of holiness. God is also redemptive, so we want our lives to be a living example of how God rescues the lost. God being Holy and Redemptive is what makes the Gospel so amazing! We also want our lives to be a picture of God’s redemption.



Congolese children eating in the orphanage.

John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans”

Another verse has become very special to us and it is eternally linked to Ephesians 5:1. This verse is John 14:18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Now if you go and read some adoption blogs, you are going to see this verse plastered everywhere. We are not the only couple that has been melted by the display of love found in John 14:18, and I think that is a good thing. It means we are not crazy! We are not out of context. Jesus spoke these words directly from the heart of God and it resonates with His people. Jesus said these words to His disciples just when they needed to hear it. In the previous chapter, Jesus told His disciples that He was leaving them and where He went, they could not follow. Jesus was going to the cross to die, to the grave to be resurrected, to heaven to return again victorious. The disciples did not fully understand everything Jesus was going to accomplish for them, but they did understand one thing...He was leaving them! They were going to be alone. Jesus spoke love and hope into their situation with a promise, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”. Through Jesus, God promised not to leave His children alone, confused, fatherless, hopeless, and lost. God is growing Debbie and I to see that being an imitator of God means not leaving little children alone, confused, fatherless, hopeless, and lost. God has gone to great lengths to rescue us, free us from the curse of sin, and make us his children. God’s rescue of us was costly and extravagant. We want to be wiling to go to extravagant lengths to rescue a child (or children) in need, no matter the cost. A child is worth it! Our God is worth it!

                   

                               

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” - James 1:27