A Life Worthy of Imitation

People used to say imitation was the sincerest form of flattery --at least, that's what superstars and politicians would quip when impersonators began swiveling like Elvis or defending their actions like former President Nixon. But the Apostle Paul said, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." (1 Cor. 11:1). What kind of life was he living that he could recommend others imitate him? I mean, imitate Christ, for sure; but imitate me as I imitate Christ? How well do I have to I imitate Christ that others should follow me? and how often? Is the majority of my life spent doing the will of the Father, as Jesus did? Do I regularly act in such a way that I would be comfortable knowing others were watching my behavior? Does my attitude inspire others to do the hard stuff? Do I daily deny the power and preeminence of my self, meet whatever trouble comes with gratitude that I am counted worthy to suffer as my Lord did, and refuse to pursue anyone or anything but Jesus? Would I ever say to anyone Just do what I'm doing?

That might actually be the end of this article. I might be able to stop with those thoughts swirling through your mind. But there's more...

Whether we say it or we don't, people will watch us. Back to those impersonators. I don't think John Wayne ever reached out and asked anyone to stagger to center stage and drawl, Well, howdy, Pilgrim. I don't think Vice President Harris petitioned Maya Rudolph for her spot-on winks and hair flips. But people were watching. The personalities that stand at the front --even for a moment --of our homes, our churches, our businesses, our social circles, our neighborhoods, these are the people that we are watching, whether they've asked us to or not. And they are watching you. Your children watch you. Your parents watch you. The lady that lives on the corner watches you. The guy that stands outside the convenience store smoking watches you. Your pastor watches you. He does. The mail carrier watches you --don't you watch her? If you're watching the guy that seems to be just an ordinary guy, doesn't it make sense someone else is watching "ordinary" you? I don't say this to stir within you some sort of paranoia or inflated self-consciousness. I say this because we are living epistles, ambassadors. We are living epistles of the Good News of Jesus Christ or the tragic narrative of a world in darkness, cursed and headed for death. We are ambassadors of Christ, urging others to be reconciled to God, pointing the way to a new life in the righteousness of Christ, or we are living as citizens of this world, blending in with the old, hiding the light of Christ that is within us, and leaving those around us as hopeless as they were before they ever laid eyes on us.

You are where you are today for a purpose. There may be someone in your life --someone imitating Christ --whom you should be watching. But there might just be someone who is watching you. What sort of life are you living? How are you handling the pressure cooker that is raising your disabled child? How are you embracing the chaos that greets you at your job every morning? How are you loving on your difficult mother-in-law? How did you respond when your pastor talked to you about doing door-to-door evangelism last month? Are you living a life worthy of imitation? Are you prepared to say, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ"?