Just at the close of the primaries to choose flag bearers for various political parties in Nigeria, an artist complained bitterly of how a group used his song at the rally without obtaining the copyright. Using someone’s intellectual property without permission is a serious issue in the world. It actually borders on criminality. Anyone caught duplicating other people’s intellectual property could end up in jail. It is a different ball game when we speak of spiritual things. In our passage, Paul was literally asking the Ephesians to warm themselves into the heart of God by copying Him. We are to imitate God. Just as a toddler develops his language by mimicking his parents, we are to do likewise in mastering spiritual language and the things of God generally.
When words are spoken, power is released. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). The power of our words can never be overemphasized. Negative talking has been established as one of the little foxes that has spoiled the beautiful vine of millions over the centuries. There is nothing negative in God’s mode of speaking. We observed yesterday that even when darkness took over His creation, He began a work of restoration by releasing creative words. We should not forget that we are made in His image; and we have the same creative power in us. Nothing is beyond redemption where the creative word of God is in motion. God did not only create the world by His word, He also sustains it by the same word. Words have both creative and maintenance properties. It is our privilege to put things in their proper courses with the word of God on our lips.