Imitators of God

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Socks behaves like a dog,” I was told about the resident red fox named Socks at the nature and science museum where I was a wildlife volunteer. The first day I entered his outdoor fenced-in habitat, he came running toward me wagging his fluffy orange tail. The wildlife staff explained that Socks was found and raised by a family who thought he was a puppy. By the time they realized he was a wild animal, Socks had spent too much time around humans and dogs to survive in the wild, so he was brought to the museum. Having been raised around dogs, Socks imitated the behavior he had observed.

Christians are called to be “imitators of God.” We are to live our lives in a way that distinguishes us from the world and not to “imitate what is evil” (3 Jn. 1:11). As a new believer in 1996, I learned that imitating God requires spending time with God in prayer, studying scripture, and spending time with other believers who model Christian living.

Socks didn’t suddenly imitate a dog, nor did I suddenly imitate God. Imitating God is an ongoing process assisted by scripture and the community of Christians.