She’s Copying Me

Another entry inspired by the goings on of the Dryden Family.

Deborah is 7 and Abigail is 6.  The closeness in age has advantages, they are fiercely protective of each other to outsiders and are genuinely caring and generous girls.  (Yeah they get it from their mother!)  However as with all sibling issues there can be areas of difference, tension and hostility.  The best way to wind each other up is to do that age old game of copying the other.  As soon as one does it to the other the copied will come running to Mum or Dad and complain about it. “Mummy, she’s copying me.”  Fair enough.  One of us as the parents will make the intervention and impose the corrective measure.

On the umpteenth occasion after administering the corrective (they love their treats and so will even improve their behaviour if it is in any danger), I recalled something Jesus said.

Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:19)

I am often chastened by this verse and the context of how Jesus responds to his critics who try to discredit the source of his authority.  I’m chastened because the Son describes a relationship with His Father that is not too far from that which annoys siblings.  Now what annoys the sibling is the mimicry implied in the imitation.  What Jesus shows is that when we’re in tune with the Father, He shows us what to do – as He does it – and we do it, not just in the functional way, because that doesn’t actually do what He does.  That is why we need the Holy Spirit.

As is evident in the world today, anyone can imitate and put on a show, but the child of God, has the heart, the mind and the will of the Father in operation in her by the Spirit of God to do what she sees the Father do.  She sees it, she does it.

That is why ongoing dialogue with the Father is necessary.  That is why the eyes to see Him are essential, that is why the desire to be consciously aware of His presence is so critical.  He is speaking words of peace and we are to speak words of peace.  He is showing mercy and we are to show mercy.  He is rebuking in love and we are to rebuke in love.  He is feeding the hungry, He is clothing the naked, He is comforting the lonely, He is befriending the alien, He is standing for justice.  Guess what …

Sadly a lot of the efforts can come across more like the mimicry that gets siblings crying out to the parents.  No soul, passion, genuine desire or purity of heart motivates the actions.  So people can point to a list of accomplishments and show off their deeds to others, but it is a sad mockery of what God calls for.

Thus when I hear Abigail come up to me and tell me that Deborah is copying her, as I remind Deborah of the chocolate cookie that might be finding its way to someone else’s mouth (i.e. mine), I want to be reminded of Jesus’ example and not have the eternal chocolate cookie removed because I was not found looking at the Father and doing what He was doing.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd