Learning to Reflect the Character of Our Heavenly Father

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1, ESV)

Have you ever noticed how children imitate their parents?

They pick up on what we say, how we respond to situations, and even habits we don't realize we're showing them.

The apostle Paul uses this familiar relationship to teach us something about our relationship with God. In Ephesians 5:1, he encourages us to imitate God as His beloved children.

But what does that actually mean?

God is perfect in all His ways. His wisdom and understanding are far beyond our own. How can imperfect human beings possibly imitate Him?

The answer becomes clearer when we look at what Paul was saying before and after this instruction.

Following Our Father's Example

Ephesians 5:1 begins with the word “therefore.” That word connects Paul's instruction to what he has just written.

In Ephesians 4:31-32, Paul says:

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (NIV)

Then he continues:

“Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children.” (Ephesians 5:1, NIV)

Paul is teaching us how God's character should influence the way we live.

We all experience moments when someone disappoints us, says something hurtful, or treats us unfairly. Sometimes the hurt is small and quickly forgotten. Other times it is difficult to move past.

How do we respond in those moments?

Paul points to the forgiveness we have received through Jesus Christ as an example of how we should forgive others.

It's one thing to know that God is forgiving. But when we're the ones who have been hurt, following His example can be difficult. This is where we have an opportunity to put Paul's instruction into practice.

Learning from Jesus Christ

Paul continues in Ephesians 5:2:

“And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (NIV)

If we want to understand what it means to imitate God, we have a wonderful example in Jesus Christ.

In John 14:9, Jesus told Philip:

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (NIV)

Jesus revealed the character of His Father through the way He lived. He showed compassion toward those who were suffering and patience with those who struggled to understand. He taught forgiveness and willingly gave His life for us.

When Paul tells us to walk in love, he is talking about how we live each day. The word walk describes our way of life, including how we treat others.

Every day, we have opportunities to put that love into practice.

Close-up of a young child standing beside a parent outdoors, illustrating the relationship between a parent and child. — Just as children learn from their parents, we are called to learn from our heavenly Father and follow His example.

As Dearly Loved Children

Paul also describes us as dearly loved children.

As children grow, they begin to understand more about their parents and why they do certain things.

Our relationship with our heavenly Father also involves learning and growing. As we study His Word, we begin to understand His character better. We learn how He treats others and what He expects from His children.

As we grow in our relationship with God, we should also grow in our desire to follow His example.

Loving Beyond Those Who Love Us

Jesus gives us another example of this in Matthew 5.

In verses 44-45, Jesus says:

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (NIV)

God provides sunshine and rain for everyone, whether they acknowledge Him or not. His kindness is not limited to those who love Him.

Jesus uses this example to teach His disciples how they should treat others.

It's easy to show kindness to someone who is kind to us. We naturally want to help those who appreciate what we do for them.

But what happens when someone is ungrateful? What happens when someone has hurt us or treated us unfairly?

Jesus teaches us to show kindness even when it isn't returned. Sometimes that means responding differently than we naturally want to.

Be Perfect as Your Father Is Perfect

Jesus ends this part of His teaching by saying:

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48, NIV)

At first, that can sound overwhelming.

We know that God is perfect. We also know that we fall short.

So what is Jesus teaching us?

The Greek word translated “perfect” is teleios, which can mean being complete, mature, or fully developed.

Jesus has been teaching about loving our enemies, including those who mistreat us. His instruction to be perfect shows us that our love should extend beyond those who love us in return.

Silhouettes of two hands reaching toward each other against a golden sunset over water. — We have opportunities every day to extend kindness to others.

Be Merciful as Your Father Is Merciful

Luke records a similar teaching from Jesus in Luke 6:35–36:

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (NIV)

Jesus tells us that God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

We may struggle to show that same kindness when someone has wronged us. We might even feel that they no longer deserve it.

But Jesus tells us to be merciful, just as our heavenly Father is merciful.

That doesn't mean we should ignore wrongdoing or allow someone to continue mistreating us. We can recognize when someone has done wrong and still choose to treat them with kindness.

What if we thought about the mercy God has shown us before deciding how to respond to someone who has hurt us?

Growing to Become More Like Him

Learning to imitate God takes time.

There will be times when we say something unkind, allow anger to affect our decisions, or struggle to forgive someone who has hurt us.

When that happens, we have an opportunity to examine ourselves and make changes.

Throughout this study, we've seen how God shows kindness and mercy, even toward those who are ungrateful or do not honor Him.

Does the way I'm treating others reflect the character of my heavenly Father?

There will always be people who test our patience or make forgiveness difficult. But we have a choice in how we respond.

As we continue growing in our relationship with God, may we become more like Him in the way we treat others, especially when showing kindness isn't easy.