To Imitate or To Be Imitated

Children love to imitate. They will spend hours playing and pretending to be grownups.  With or without costumes, you will see you will see little ones acting as police officers, firemen, nurses or a host of others.  They will imitate conversations they have overheard and behaviors they have observed. These come from many sources including television, classroom settings and frequently the home.
 Have you ever seen a younger brother tagging along, trying to do everything his older brother does?  Not only does he want to do everything, but also to do it in the exact same way.  He will copy the elder sibling’s stance, gate, facial expressions and even voice patterns.  The same can be said for little girls and their older sisters. As a young girl, I tried to be just like my older brothers.  (This did not go over to well with my parents.  After four boys, they finally had a girl and wanted pink bows and lace.)
The term Christian means to be a little Christ. Jesus did only and all of what he saw his Father doing.  “Jesus explained, ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.’” (John 5:19 NLT) We can find what the Father is doing by reading the word, praying and presenting ourselves ready to obey. Then, when God places opportunities in our path, we are actively looking for them and ready respond.  These may be simple acts of kindness or may entail totally changing our plans for the day.  Watch God and do as He does.
If you are new in your walk with Jesus, putting this into practice may be challenging. Following another instruction from the Word will help.  “…but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”  (Hebrews 6:12b ESV)  Often as I begin a new phase of what God has for me, I watch the life of someone I respect who is already there.  Sometimes this occurs from afar and the other person is not even aware I am watching.  At other times, it is more active, such as a mentoring relationship.  In these cases, I may ask questions and get feedback from the person I am imitating.  In either case, I have been guided to what God called me to, by initially following someone who was the type of person I wanted to become.  The end result was shared character traits, with separate personalities and style.
Once you are maturing in God, Paul has more encouragement. “Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).” (1 Corinthians 11:1 AMP)  After a time of following Christ, you may become the mentor.  Even if you do not actively pursue a relationship to help someone grow in their faith, you may be being watched.  Live your life in a way that those who follow you example, are following the example of Jesus.  (Paul was not perfect. Neither am I or anyone you may respect. There is mercy and grace for us all.)
In the above scenario of sibling emulation, all too often, the older sibling just wants to be left alone.  At other times there is a source of pride that he is being copied, even if he won’t admit it.  This may in part be due to concerns about his behavior.  What about your behavior?  Will you be like the child who cries “Stop copying me!”?  Or will you stand with confidence and like Paul boldly say “[follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).” Avoid the temptation of forcing someone to follow your lead, but live an example they will want to follow.

Follow the example of Jesus.  Learn from others and imitate those who follow the example of Jesus.  Become someone worthy to follow as you imitate and follow Jesus.