Easy Out

"...be imitators of God..." Ephesians 5:1

Did they really just say that?  I must have heard incorrect.  Yes, that was it; I had to have missed a word because they couldn't have said what I thought I heard.  Then the sentence was repeated again.  No, that's what was said.  Really?

Recently I heard someone say this more as a statement than a question:  Do you really think we should follow Jesus as our example?

Uh...yes!!!

Their thinking was that Jesus is perfect, making it impossible to truly follow Him.  We will never be able to walk completely in His footsteps.  His shoes are just too big to fill.  Maybe He's not realistic to follow.

OK, I'll grant you that there is only one Perfect, and that's Christ, but this isn't reason not to use Him as our Guide.  A student is only as good as their teacher.  Following a sinless Teacher we have the best example.  Others may fail and lead us astray, but there is no fear of that with Jesus.  Because of a sinless Savior we can always trust His teaching to be truth.  He is Truth.

Yes, His standard is high, and His commands unattainable on our own, but what is being suggested by this other way of thinking?  We lower the bar and accept less?   I would rather spend my life making Christ my goal.

Here's the thing.  Following Jesus we start off knowing that this side of heaven it's impossible to be completely like Him.  We have already failed.  If we instead follow a good, yet somewhat flawed guide, we can justify and excuse our own shortcomings and maybe we won't be expected to be quite so "holy".  I mean, we want a little "fun", right?  Following Jesus is going to mean submission and surrender.  On the whole, we're not usually great with either.  Life would be easier if we followed David or Paul, Jonah or even Abraham.  They all cut us a little slack.  But Jesus?  Really?

I guess one question would be what's your motive in following?  If obedience is rising from a heart of love and thankfulness for all He has done for you, there is absolutely nothing He could ask that would seem too much.

Another question might be, how are you trying to follow Him?  Are you doing it in your own strength?  No wonder you're weary.  It's only with God that all things become possible.

How full are you of self?  Are you pretty much in control and hate giving up the reigns?  Jesus requires us to deny self.

Yes, His Word calls us to be imitators of God, yet we continue to long for an easy out.

One more question.

Did He take the "easy out" for you?