Like

I have heard this phrase many times in the last few days. Actually, I have heard this phrase most all of my life growing up in church and attending a Christian university. What is that phrase? "We must live for God." I started thinking about if this was really the case. I starting thinking that what if instead "we must live like God." I looked at the definitions for the words for and like. For means and is used to indicate the object, aim, or purpose of an action or activity. It is also used to describe something done in honor of. Like means possessing the characteristics of; resembling closely; similar to. Which one of these would have more of an impact on the world and those around us. I would propose that living like God has much more of an impact than living for God.

"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
"Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures— either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working.
"Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

Matthew 5:13-20

We are here to live like God. We are not here to live for God. We are here to be the salt and light. We are not here to just "represent" salt and light, but to actually be salt and light. Think of the impact if the followers of the way of Jesus if we live like God instead of just living for God. I think that living for God to most people means that we must tell everyone else how to live, what to do, and what it means and what people must do if they love God. Living for God leads to a life of "self righteousness" and thinking that we are doing something great "for" God. However, living like God means that you never have to tell anyone anything, you just do. If you just do people will be attracted to this way of living and know. If we live like God we salt and light the earth with love. People begin to care and love each other. People begin to be attracted to a way of living that benefits them in ways that cannot be measured. People begin to be more peaceful, live more compassionately, and God is revealed in all the God colors. Living like God is an incredibly humbling experience that leaves no room for ego.

Today and everyday begin to live like God. Show kindness as you have been shown by God. Show compassion as you have been shown by God. Forgive as your have been forgiven by God. Serve as you have been served by God. Love as you are loved by God. Befriend others as you have been befriended by God. We must live like God.

Namaste'