A Matched Set

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:13-16

“Has anyone seen my turquoise bracelet?” asked Demi. “I don’t want to wear my turquoise necklace without the bracelet. They’re a set.”

“Big deal,” scoffed Demi’s brother Ben.

“You’ll have to find it later,” said Mom. “It’s time to leave for church now.”

“Wait! I think I remember where it is.” Demi dashed into her room and came out with the bracelet. “I forgot I had put it on the bookshelf by my bed when I was reading. Now I’m ready to go,” she said, slipping the bracelet on her arm. She paused and admired a small turquoise ring on her hand. “My ring and necklace and bracelet are a matched set.”

“What does that mean? What’s a match set?” asked her little sister.

“Matched,” said Demi as they went out to the car. “These all have matching turquoise stones. Since they’re alike, they match each other—they all go together.”

After church, Demi was eager to tell her parents about the lesson her class had that morning. “I showed Mrs. Peters my ring and bracelet and necklace. I told her they’re a matched set, and she said I should show the whole class because that’s a lot like what God wants for His children.”

Ben was skeptical. “He wants us to have jewelry?”

Demi laughed. “No—He wants us to match Him! We’re supposed to be like Him.”

“Be like God!” exclaimed Ben. “We can never be like God. We can’t control nature or do miracles like He can.”

“That’s true, Ben,” said Dad. “We could never be as great or powerful as God. But there is a way we can match God—at least a little.”

“That’s what Mrs. Peters said.” Demi twisted the ring on her finger. “She said God is making us become more like Jesus. He helps us be more kind and loving and refuse to do wrong things. Stuff like that.”

“Yes,” Dad said. “Jesus has freed us from the power of sin, and the Holy Spirit helps us obey His teaching and makes us more like Him each day. God is holy and righteous. We want to match Him as closely as possible. Right, Ben?”

“Yeah, okay,” Ben agreed. “I guess we can match Him in some ways.”

-Carolyn E. Yost

How About You?

Do your words and actions match up with Jesus’s example in the Bible? He was always loving, kind, and thoughtful of others. He treated people with respect. He cared for those who were poor, sick, and suffering, and He helped them. And He never, ever sinned! Even though we’re not perfect, the Holy Spirit is making us more like Him. Trust Him to help you turn from sin and follow Jesus’s example.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 Peter 1:16 (NKJV) Be holy, for I [God] am holy.

Today’s Key Thought:

Be like Jesus