Who is the person you admire or look up to? Some psychologists believe that the person you hold in high regard can influence your actions and behavior. For example, a person may identify with or want to be like a certain teacher or a friend. Many people imitate or are controlled by the people they identify with. 

While Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden, God said that they could eat any fruit from the trees except the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. One day, the serpent said to Eve, “Did God really tell you not to eat the fruit from that tree? you should try some of its tasty fruit. If you eat it, you will be God, knowing good and evil.” Eve eventually was deceived to eat that fruit because the fruit looked delicious and she would be like God if she ate it.

Being like God, knowing both good and evil, is our human desire. We try hard to overcome our limitations. Why not use the easy way if we can gain wisdom telling the difference between good and evil? Adam and Eve used their own play to achieve their goal–being like God.

Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be imitators of God.” As Paul said in Philippians 2:5-11, we must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he didn’t think of equality with God; instead, he was born as human being, humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. The key to being like God is to be obedient, to be humble and to be in service readily.