Imitation isn't flattery, it's normal
Everybody needs a role model, someone to look up to. It's a normal part of childhood. What matters most is understanding who THEY are following.
Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. (Philippians 3:17-21)
Kids are cute.
It’s a defense mechanism, I’m sure of it. And I don’t even have kids, but I spend enough time around them these days that I’ve picked up a few things about them.
I am so thankful to have so many small people in my life, and they have all taught me important truths about myself and my own relationship with God. And the one that always resonates most deeply with me is this entire idea of imitation.
Kids are amazing at imitation. They want to be just like their moms and dads and do all the same things they do.
I have dear friends who are missionaries, and they have twin boys. Before these crazy kids could talk, they were turning their toy tractors into pulpits and preaching to an imaginary audience of listeners.
Another close friend loves baking and cooking, and her daughter would spend hours with her play kitchen set developing her own exciting recipes and trying to feed her imaginary food to the family’s very real dog. (The dog wasn’t impressed.)
And even my best friend’s daughter wants to do all the things her dad does, like hunting and fishing. And that little bean sprout is pretty cute decked out in her camouflage overalls.
All kids look up to their parents and want to be like them. It’s a normal part of childhood, and that’s why it’s so important to have a parent or parental figure who can model what it looks like to live.
So, of course, it’s important that your role model is a decent human being. It’s essential that they are good, moral people who know the difference between right and wrong. But the most important qualification for a Christian role model is that they be someone who actively follows Jesus. The best way to learn how to follow Jesus is to follow someone who is already in step with Him.
That’s basically what discipleship is, in case you were wondering. And that is what Paul is talking about in this passage.
It’s not that Paul is saying he is perfect or that he is the example of what a Christian should be. What he is saying is that he is being intentional about following Jesus. He is attempting to live his life in a way that honors Jesus, that points to Jesus, and that brings glory to God.
We all need role models. You may even have accepted some role models into your life without realizing it. What matters now is understanding who they are following.
We all follow someone. And we can follow Jesus as far as Scripture teaches us and as much as the Holy Spirit reveals to us, but in the areas where we don’t know what to do, that’s where you need a godly mentor to ask for advice.
Who is that person in your life? Who is the person you want to do life with? Is that person worthy of following? Are they obsessed with earthly possessions or influence? Are they only concerned with things of this world rather than the world to come?
If they are, that’s not a person who will lead you in Jesus’ footsteps. If you’re patterning your life after someone who desires power and wealth and status, you will find yourself walking in the opposite direction of Jesus.
So pay attention to where you’re going. Know who you’re following. And if you need to turn around, do it.
God has always been a fan of changing directions.
For Reflection
Why does it matter so much that the person you’re following is following Jesus first?
What is the difference between someone who only values this life versus someone who values eternity?
What kind of conduct can a person have that makes them an enemy of Jesus?
Weekly Memory Verse
