What is it that people say, “Imitation is the
sincerest form of flattery”?
I have one of those little imitators. Of course, he is only 2 years 6 months old; but that little grandson will spend several minutes during our walks through the neighborhood repeating every word I say. He does that with his parents and with Carol too, so I don’t have exclusive bragging rights.
Truth be told, we as followers of Jesus are imitators of Christ. That’s the plan the Bible describes in Ephesians 5:1-2…very clearly and simply. We imitate Him so others who imitate us get a head start on following Jesus.
Therefore, be[a] imitators of God as dearly loved children 2 and live[b] in love, just as Christ also loved us[c] and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering[d] to God.
The imitation is not done by simply doing our best. There is more to it than that. God not only commands our imitation of Christ; He promises that it will happen. In other words, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ a new road is set before us to travel. It is a road that leads to heaven eventually but to a Christ-like life while we are here on the planet. Philippians 1:6 is just as clear as the verses above.
My encouragement to you, as my Father is encouraging me, is to “get on with it”. Understand that your life here and how we live it ….matters. In a discussion with a long-term friend over breakfast this morning, we spoke freely about the influences in our life – good and bad. Too many times our godly influences come from outside our family (if they came at all), even when our family was a churched one. Have you noticed that?
In the conferences and workshops we lead, Carol and I ask a version of this question: Can you think of a couples you observed in your childhood and teen years whose marriage you would want to imitate or set as a goal for your marriage?
Are you surprised to know that over 90% of the couples answer with either none or perhaps one couple, and the one couple named more often is a set of grandparents?
What am I asking of you? I am asking of you the same thing my Father has called me and Carol to be…a couple making progress toward loving one another as He loves us. It is a command: John 13:34-35; Ephesians 5:21 and 25. Please read all 4 of these verses.
For generations we’ve allowed media and academic institutions to become the model our kids imitate. Look where that has taken us. One question I have been asking for years is this one: Why don’t most churches have effective relationship-building couples ministries focused on helping couples prepare, establish, and maintain Christ-honoring marriages worthy of imitation? Men’s Ministries? Women’s Ministries focused on successful homes and parenting?
OK that’s more than one question, but you get my point.
By God’s grace we will be a couple and a family who serves the Lord….not perfectly but progressively better with the passage of time. We want to hear “well done good and faithful servant” when we one day stand before our Lord Jesus. I know you do too.
What needs to change in you to help you become a man or woman whose life is worth imitation? I know we can’t and won’t be perfect here, but we can grow up into Christ and make significant progress in our loving and encouraging words, our appropriate and kind responses, our genuine acts of service, and our walk with God. No one will ever see all of what we are and do, but as we become consistent lovers of God and others and even of ourselves, as God desires, we will give hope and help to those imitating our life.
The future generations need more than a new digital notebook and a phone. They need you and me, and most of all they need us showing them the way to walk with Jesus.
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Hope you continue to do a weekly meeting with your spouse / friend using the Top Ten Relationship Needs and these 52-Week Plans as discussion starters!!
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