Some people go the great lengths for beauty—even spend thousands of dollars on surgery to look like their favorite superstar. Maybe they do it because they don’t like their own identity and are hoping to capitalize on someone else and gain notoriety for themselves. But even superstars can sometimes be phony. So people who mimic them could be doubly duped. The Bible teaches us to pattern ourselves after the moral likeness and character of Jesus the Christ. That is God’s purpose and desire for each of His children. Romans 8:29 informs us that God chose us long before we were born to reflect the likeness of his Son. In Philippians CH 3, Paul urges God’s people to pattern their lives after him, but only because he modeled his life after Christ. He reminds them and us that we are “citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.” Our Lord desires us to be salt and light wherever we are, to represent Him in our homes, on our jobs, at school, and wherever life takes us. God wants us to live each day displaying His Kingdom values of love and justice.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
