Imitators of what?

Little girls play house, little boys play cowboys and Indians... young children masterfully imitate these things they long to be. Immature... naive... playing a game. As they grow older, they change. The 10 year old boy longs to play basketball just like his favorite professional player. He joins a team. His coach teaches him and the other young boys how to play ball. He imitates what his coach does and the moves that he makes. The young boy isn't good like his coach or his professional idol, but he tries... he imitates the best that he can. The teenage girl wants to be just like Britney Spears. She sings with her CD, and dances along with her videos. She wears the same clothes and dies her hair. She imitates her idol, desiring to sing and dance just like her... she won't ever be as good, but she tries... she imitates the best that she can. They practice... never to be as good as what they imitate... but they watch, they learn, they imitate.

Even as grown adults you will act like someone. Do you copy what you see on TV or what you hear from the world. Do you long to be skinny like the movie stars or funny like the comedian, put together like the news anchor or crafty like Martha Stewart? Who do you imitate? Do you try to be like the world or do we imitate the only thing that is worthy of imitation, Jesus? Do you long for a heart like Jesus? We will never be as good as what we imitate, but at least we are trying... we are imitating the best that we can... we are imitating perfection.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.
Ephesians 5:1