Being a Christian is not about making a weekly trip to church. We need to develop the character of God so others can actually see Jesus working in a practical way.
Ephesians 5:1 says that we are to be imitators of God. Unfortunately, saying it is a lot easier than actually doing it. So many times we do things that do not reflect God at all. It is easy to get discouraged, give up on and condemn ourselves when we fall short.
Thankfully, God is not bothered that we have not arrived yet. He know we are only human. He knows that we are not going to instantly, perfectly mirror Him overnight, but He does want us to continue growing.
We are not meant to live stagnant lives, never moving forward in our faith. Where is the adventure in that? We need to be able to look back on our life and see some changes taking place.
I used to be a Pharisee. I think I could have been the chief of Pharisees. I had a real religious act going on, but I was not really doing anything to truly "imitate" God. At some point, God let me to ask myself: "What am I doing to be more like God? Am I actually helping anybody? Am I just in this thing so God will make my life better?"
When we are in a place of questioning, that is the best place to be. It is a place of constantly striving toward being more like Christ.
As you are striving, do not fall into the trap of perfectionism and self-condemnation. We all make mistakes but the important thing is to be willing to take steps every day toward being more like God.
Prayer starter: God, I thank You that even though You see my mistakes, You still love me and help me live a godly life. While I refuse to be discouraged by my failures, I also refuse to stay the same. I choose to follow you and imitate you more and more each day.
Ephesians 5:1
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.
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