Who Do You Look Like?

Have you ever been told that you look like somebody famous? Or ever approached a stranger thinking they were someone you knew? My recent case of mistaken identity came this morning as my 13 month old daughter was looking through her daddy’s copy of WIRED magazine. She was turning the pages, occasionally indicating objects she recognized, when she enthusiastically began an insistent mantra of “dada, dada, dada.” Looking up, I had to do a double (triple?) take of the man she was pointing to in the magazine — just who was this man who looked eerily like my dear husband?

It turns out the photo was actually a morphed composite of two crass sketch-comedy writers. While I was relieved that there really is not a clone of my hubby wandering about somewhere, I was still a bit awestruck by the likeness of the two. And I began to wonder who I might be mistaken for.

It wasn’t long before the Holy Spirit nudged me into pondering the deeper applications of this. We are, after all, called to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5), and that is no small task. When people listen to me or watch me, what do they see? Are my words and actions bringing glory to God? Am I completely free of all sexual immorality, impurity, greed and foolish talk? Hardly.

When I am upset or disappointed, my anger quickly surfaces and I become defensive and self-focused, speaking unkindly. (My loving husband can attest to this). I am therefore praying that God will guide me in becoming “slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19)¹. As I seek to pause before speaking and to really think about what I am saying, I know that my daughter will continue to help with accountability, as she is a great imitator. (I have recently realized that I sigh and rub my temples much more frequently than I'd care to admit). And with my precious girl learning from and imitating me, I shall seek fully to be an imitator of God. That’s a likeness worth having.