As children of God, we are called to follow Him with the same simplicity and sincerity that a child follows their parent. This idea is at the heart of Ephesians 5:1, where Paul urges us to “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.” A child naturally imitates their parent—learning, observing, and trusting. In the same way, we are to follow God, modeling our lives after His example.
This blog marks the beginning of a 12-part series where we will look at what it means to be a follower of God.
Over the next several blogs, we will look at 12 key elements from Ephesians 5 that outline how we can follow God as His dear children:
1. Forgiveness – Just as children forgive, we must also forgive as God has forgiven us. This is foundational to our walk with Christ and our relationship with others.
2. Love – We are called to walk in love, following the example of Christ, who gave Himself for us (Ephesians 5:2).
3. Thankfulness – Gratitude should overflow from our hearts, as we reject foolish talk and instead give thanks (Ephesians 5:4).
4. Light – As children of light, we are to walk in the light, reflecting the goodness, righteousness, and truth of God (Ephesians 5:8).
5. Proving and Reproving – We are to test what pleases the Lord and expose the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:10).
6. Walking Circumspectly – We must walk wisely, being careful in how we live, making the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:15).
7. Redeeming the Time – Understanding that time is precious, we are called to make the most of every moment (Ephesians 5:16).
8. Understanding God’s Will – We should seek to understand what the Lord’s will is, aligning our lives with His purpose (Ephesians 5:17).
9. Being Filled with the Spirit – Rather than being filled with worldly things, we should be filled with the Spirit, which leads to a life of joy and purpose (Ephesians 5:18).
10. Speaking – Our speech should reflect our faith, as we speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19).
11. Submission – In humility and love, we are called to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21-25).
Each of these topics will be explored in depth in the coming blogs, as we seek to grow in our understanding and practice of what it means to follow God as His dear children.
Stay tuned for the next post, where we will take a closer look at forgiveness—what it means and how it sets the tone for our journey as followers of Christ.