Sharing the Father’s Life

God’s life within us shines through, not by imitation, but by His Spirit overflowing from within.

Devotional Credit: eManna by Witness Lee
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Witness Lee draws our attention to the difference between outward imitation and inward participation. Jesus’ words, “You shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” can sound like an impossible command if taken as a rule of behavior. Many try to copy God’s actions, thinking that if they mimic His love or mercy, they will somehow measure up. But this leads only to frustration, because we cannot imitate divinity through human effort. It would be like teaching an animal to act like a person. No matter how convincing it appears, it will never be real, because the nature is missing.

Lee reminds us that we are not merely imitators of God but children of God. We carry His life and His nature within us. Because His Spirit dwells in us, the perfection Jesus calls for is not about our straining but about His life being expressed through us. The Father has given us exceedingly great promises so that we might partake of His divine nature. This means that the calling to be perfect is not beyond reach, because it is not ours to produce. It is His life flowing out of us.

The trials and contrary circumstances of life are not accidents. They are God’s way of pressing us into Himself, exposing what is fleshly so that we learn to yield and rest in His sufficiency. Instead of making us despair, these challenges invite us to trust the Father’s life within. Out of that trust comes the reality of kingdom living, not as a burden but as the overflow of His Spirit through us.

This is the freedom of the abiding life. Rather than straining to copy God, we rest in the reality that we are born of Him. We thank Him that He has given us His life, and from that life comes the possibility of living as true kingdom people. The church, then, is not built on people trying hard to be good, but on the shared life of the Father expressed in His children.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

My child, do not look at My words as an impossible burden to copy. You are not called to mimic Me like one trying to copy an image. You are My child, born of My Spirit, and My life is in you. Because My life is in you, what I am I will express through you.

I have given you precious promises so that you may partake of My nature. This is not about you reaching upward in your strength, it is about My life flowing outward from within you. When pressures come, when difficulties rise, do not despair. They are My way of drawing you near, showing you your need, and inviting you to trust Me.

When you yield, My Spirit bears fruit in you. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are not produced by your effort, but by My life within. The call to be perfect is the call to let My life flow unhindered. You are not left to yourself. You are united to Me, and in My Son you already are complete.

Scripture References: Matthew 5:48, 2 Peter 1:4, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4-6, Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 2:9-10, John 15:5, Philippians 2:13, Ephesians 2:10, 1 John 3:1-2.

Real-Life Analogy

Think of a branch attached to a fruit tree. The branch does not study the fruit and try to copy it. It simply draws from the life within the tree, and the fruit naturally appears in season. In the same way, we are not trying to copy the Father’s character. We are joined to Him, and His life flows into us, producing in us what could never come from effort alone.

Today, when I face a situation that exposes my impatience or weakness, I can quietly say, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment.” As I rest in Him, what He is becomes visible through me, not because I tried harder, but because His life is at work.

Prayer of Confidence

Lord, I thank You that I am not called to imitate You in my strength, but to live from the reality of Your life within me. You have given me Your divine nature, and through that gift, I can live as one of Your children. I rejoice that trials do not expose me to shame but press me into deeper trust in You. I rest in the truth that Your Spirit expresses Your perfection in me, and I am complete in Jesus.