Heaven’s Cookie Cutter

May 2, 2008

By Greg Ebie

When the kids were younger, Susie always enjoyed getting them cookie cutters. While seldom used for cookies, these were regularly used with play dough. The kids would cut out all kinds of shapes — some, very unusual.

The cookie cutters around our house were made of tin. While these were great for cutting the dough, they often did not withstand the hands of our children. Shapes would become distorted or even recreated all together as the cutters were bent and twisted. Somewhere out there a tinsmith must shake his head and wonder what we have done to his work of art.

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48, NIV).

We are called to live out the image of our Heavenly Father. Jesus tells us straight. This is not a suggestion, but an imperative declaration — a command to be obeyed. God expects us to live a holy life just as He is holy. I like how The Message puts this verse:

“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

We have been created in the image of God; if you will, God is the “Perfect Cookie Cutter” and we are made from His mold. Sin has not affected that divine Cookie Cutter, but it has terribly warped the dough. God remains perfect, but His image within us has been distorted. So Jesus tells us to look at God’s design and be reformed according to His perfect pattern.

This takes place over a lifetime of spiritual growth, but what is important is that we continue to live up to what we have learned. If we have finally reshaped one area of our lives to reflect God’s image, let’s not let it again be distorted by sin. Instead, let’s continue to reshape other areas of our lives to be like our Heavenly Father and live up to what we have learned.

Thankfully we don’t have to do it alone. God has filled us with His Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to empower us to live a transformed life. With the Spirit’s help we can “grow up” and continue to “live out [our] God-created identity.” Our life’s dough can steadily take the shape of the “Perfect Cookie Cutter.”

— D. Greg Ebie is senior pastor of Praise Assembly of God in Garrettsville, Ohio, and an author of Daily Bread devotionals.