Do you flatter God in all that you do?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

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

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that is so, do you flatter God when you say a few choice words that you know you shouldn’t say? Do you flatter God when you simply think those words? Do you flatter God when you are less than honest with your spouse or children? Do you flatter God when you have business dealings that are less than honest?

Do you flatter God when…

Each of us have things in our lives that are less than desirable. We imitate those that we are around. We tell off-color jokes because we know that they will get a laugh. We change our behavior to match the groups of people that we are with. The only thing that any of this imitates is the world. Is that truly what you desire to have visible to those around you, and is that what you want God to see when He looks at you?

If “Christian” means “little Christ,” are we truly living up to that name? Are we imitating Jesus or are we simply mocking Him with our words while our actions say something different? Is there anything in your life that is less than Christlike? We know that when Jesus walked the earth, He imitated the Father.

Jesus gave them this answer: “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 (NIV))

By imitating Jesus, we are also imitating the Father.

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
(3 John 1:11 (NIV))

We are told to imitate what is good. Jesus clearly states that only God is good, so we are to imitate God.

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
(Mark 10:18 (NIV))

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, do you flatter God in all that you do?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Will you be able to resist?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.
(Daniel 11:32 (NIV))

Have you ever fallen for flattery?

Be careful how quickly you answer and how you answer for everyone likes the proverbial pat on the back. We like to be told that we are valuable and that we are the best at what we can do. We like to have our ego stroked and most of us will subconsciously choose to be around those who do just that. This human characteristic makes each of us easy pray for the father of lies, and flattery is just that. It is lies designed to draw you into the tangled web of deception. Flattery is nothing more than false promises used to entrap us in something that we truly don’t want. This is probably one of the biggest ways that the enemy is able to draw us into sin.

It is important that we, as believers in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, keep our eyes firmly fixed upon Jesus. What He tells us is not flattery. Jesus will tell us the truth. He will tell us that we are loved by God and that He died to save us from the consequences of sin. Even if He could lie, He has no reason to, for everything that Jesus promises is true.

His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.
(Daniel 11:31 (NIV))

I find it interesting that Daniel speaks of the devil using flattery right after he tells us that the enemy will set up the abomination that causes desolation. He will use flattery to draw people to himself after he has declared himself to be God. The enemy will say things that our sinful natures long to hear. He will tell us that whatever we want to do is acceptable. He will tell us that good is evil and that evil is good. The enemy will tell us things that are designed to entangle us in his lies. We must be firmly grounded in the truth of God and His Word. We must be prepared to give an account of why we follow Jesus. We must be prepared to submit to the Lord and fully rely on His strength to resist the devil.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
(James 4:7 (NIV))

Will you be able to resist?

Copyright 1998 – 2021 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you practicing what you have learned?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
(Philippians 4:9 (NIV))

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that is the case, do you flatter Jesus?

When Paul wrote his letter to the church at ‭‭Philippi, he was encouraging the believers there to take what they have learned from him about Jesus and put it into practice. In other words, he was encouraging them to imitate Jesus by following His teachings. Two thousand years later, that is still the very best advise that anyone can give.

How are you living up to imitating Jesus in all that you do?

It isn’t easy, is it?

No matter how sincere we may be in our desires, human nature keeps getting in the way. Our sinful nature keeps raising its ugly head and we soon find ourselves doing things that we truly wish that we could avoid. Perhaps we need to truly take a lesson from Jesus and pay attention to how much time that He spent in prayer with the Father. I would venture to say that if we start practicing this lesson more often, the other things that we are called to imitate would be so much easier to actually imitate. Spending time in honest, heartfelt communication with the Lord will lead to a stronger relationship, and a better understanding of and a stronger desire to be like Jesus!

There is only so much that we can learn if we don’t start practicing what we have learned. Obedience is critical. Obedience means doing what Jesus instructs us to do. Obedience means putting away our sinful nature and following Jesus. Obedience means that we imitate Jesus by putting into practice what we have learned.

Are you practicing what you have learned?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you setting a good example for others to follow?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV))

It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. It is also said that the word “Christian” originally was used to refer to someone as a “little Christ,” for they imitated Jesus in all of His actions. In essence, the early Christians were trying to be exactly like Jesus in all things!

Can the same be said of us?

Jesus came into the world to show us how to live. He came into the world to give us an option to the way the world says we should live. He came into the world to overcome the enemy, the thief of our very souls.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(John 10:10 (NIV))

If we profess a faith in Jesus, we are saying that we believe. We are saying that we accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior. We are saying that we desire to follow Him with all of our heart and with all of our life.

Is that what we are doing? Do our lives lead people to Christ? Do our lives present a good example of what being a follower of Christ truly means?

Preach always. When necessary, use words.
(attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)

Are you setting a good example for others to follow?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
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Are you easily deceived?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
(Romans 16:17-18 (NIV))

It is easy to become bogged down in the world and what society is saying. Television advertising, television shows, sales people – they all try to flatter and convince you of something. Some is harmless. Some is not so harmless. Even the harmless can lead to harm if it is the beginning of a series. This even happens in the church.

Unfortunately, today, the church is influenced more by society than it influences society. Be careful to keep your eyes focused on Jesus and pray for God’s Will to be done.

Deception is an art form. It is an evil art perfected by the enemy. Satan will use anything that he can to deceive believers – even other believers. Stay grounded in the Truth of the Word so that deception can be avoided.

Are you firmly grounded so that deception will not make you stray?

Are you easily deceived?

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What would Jesus do?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
(1 John 3:16 (NIV))

Several years ago, everyone was asking “What would Jesus do?” I understand the concept behind the question, for it makes us stop and reflect on our actions in any given circumstance. I know that it has made me stop and rethink my actions on many occasions, but perhaps we should ask ourselves another question.

What can I do that will make me more like Jesus?

When we ask what would Jesus do, it places Jesus at the center of our lives. It places Jesus as the ideal that we are to copy, that we are to imitate. To be honest with you, that is definitely not bad, after all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. With this in mind, it is perfectly okay to ask what would Jesus do. It shows that we strive to be like Jesus in our actions. Eventually, though, we need to move from an outward action to an inner desire, an inner change of heart. Jesus needs to become personal to us in ways far beyond imitation.

We need to desire, we need to strive to be more like Jesus!

For many people, that is conveyed by the simple question, “What would Jesus do?” These simple words convey their inner desires. For other people, the subtle nuances between these two phrases can take on such a powerful meaning. The simple question, “What can I do?” can convey a selfishness in the eyes of some people, while in the eyes of others, these words imply a total surrender to Jesus. They can indicate a me first type of mentality, or they can indicate that the person has reached the limits of their own understanding and are ready for complete surrender.

Perhaps the two questions go hand in hand. There are times when we need to ask ourselves what we can do that will make us more like Jesus. Then there are times when we need to ask Jesus what He would do in the situation in which we find ourselves.

No matter what you may ask, be prepared for an answer that may surprise you. It is essential to remember that Jesus did a wide variety of things including turning over the tables of the money changers. The one thing that was common in the life and actions of Jesus is that He obeyed God even to death. The next time that you face a situation in the world or in your life, remember that obedience to the Father was His only priority.

What would Jesus do?

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Who or what do you flatter?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
(Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV))

It is human nature for children to imitate their parents. That is how they learn what they are to do and the difference between right and wrong. How can we, as children of God, do any different than we did when we were little?

Jesus is our big brother and God is our Father. They are the role models that we should be looking to in all aspects of our lives. How many times have you heard a child say that they wanted to be just like their father or mother when they grow up? How many times have you heard of a younger sibling wanting to be like the older sibling?

I am guilty of wanting to be like my big brother, Jesus. We should all strive to be like Jesus in everything that we do. God sent His only Son to show us how we are to live. In Jesus’ own words, He called those who do the will of The Father His brothers and Sisters. We should actively seek to earn this title by imitating God and Jesus in all that we do.

Remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Who or what do you flatter?

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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