Have you noticed that little children love to mimic their parents? They walk around in their dad's work boots. They put a toy phone up to their ear, pretending to talk to their best friend. They wear mom's lipstick or type on a picture book like it's their work laptop.
When a child copies their parent, we get a glimpse of what the parent is like. Sometimes we see their parent's bad habits, but just as often see the good as well. "You have your mom's smile," we say. Or, "You have an ear for music just like Dad."
Children frequently copy their parents, and when they do, we get to see a bit of the parent. Jesus says something similar. He says, "When you show compassion towards people who are ungrateful and acting at their worst, you show that you are children of the Most High God. Be merciful because your Father is merciful." When we give mercy and compassion towards people who don't deserve it, we show what God is like. Wow!
You can read Jesus' words in Luke 6:35. He has a lot to say in the surrounding verses, too, about how children of God should act. He uses verbs like love, bless, lend, forgive, do not judge..."Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Honestly, the list challenges me. I yearn to act like a child of the Most High God. I want to show people what He is really like.
Let's do something together this week. Let's read Luke 6:17-46 several times - perhaps daily. Meditate on them. How can we show what God's character is like by our actions? What can we do today?