Imitate Me

There is a verse in the Bible where Paul says,

"Imitate Me."

These two words have been a source of much contemplation and meditation.

I have not known many Christians who are willing to say, "Imitate Me." However, more often than not, I have listened to more people discredit themselves when sharing something the Lord has been showing them by saying, "...Not that I do this perfectly" or any number of similar statements.

Why do we do this? Why do we feel the need to say this? Do any of us do anything perfectly or all the time? Is that not a given.

As a math teacher, I would never get before my students and say, "Class, today I am going to teach you how to solve for x. Know that I do not always do this correctly, but here is what you do."

It seems a little silly to say that. Any student of mine already knows that Miss Divers makes mistakes. I don't have to tell them that. However, that doesn't make me any less qualified to teach them to solve for x.

Jumping back to the Paul example...

Why do we hesitate so much to confidently say, "Imitate Me."? Why do I hesitate to confidently tell someone, "Imitate Me."?

I believe it goes back to not truly understanding what is meant when this statement is said among believers. At least that is what it was for me.

Paul didn't tell others to imitate him because he, Paul, was so great. He told others to imitate him, because the Holy Spirit in him was so great. Paul was human like us. He was flawed. He sinned. He didn't always do the right thing? He made mistakes. But he still encouraged believer to imitate him.

So often I don't want to tell others to imitate me, because even if I thought I could say it without sounding prideful--I am flawed. I sin. I don't always do the right thing.

When I hesitate to say to someone, "Imitate me," for these reasons, it is because my focus is off. It is because I am identifying myself with my old, sin nature and not my new nature in Christ.

Another way of wording what Paul said would be, "Imitate Christ in me." However, Paul didn't say the added "Christ in" part. Why? Because his life was a living testimony of Christ. There was no question who he was about. As a child of God, he was identified with Christ and HIS attributes and no longer as sinful Saul.

The other pretty huge thing I got contemplating, "Imitate Me." was...

It is actually our flaws, our sin, our not doing the right thing...these are the things others need to see. Because it is as we deal with these things in a godly way and in right relationship with Him that He is glorified. I never learned much from a person who always did the right thing. However, I have learned much by observing how godly men and women handle messing up. It is good for me to see a brother humbly go to another brother and seek forgiveness for an offense.

The world likes to paint perfect, ideal pictures for us. It is easy to grow up with a warped view of how to handle things or the reality of the consequences of certain choices because we sugar-coat, glamorize, or just flat-out hide the more real and hard things of life.

How valuable it has been for me to be around godly men and women who let me see ALL of their lives...not just he pretty, pleasant parts...but the messy, not-so-fun or attractive parts as well.

I have learned to think of people as "beautiful messes". I say that very affectionately.

The people dearest to my heart are all "Beautiful Messes" but they have played/are playing vital roles in helping me to learn to love God with all my heart and to love my neighbor.

I am not sure how to nicely wrap this up and connect everything as I have taken a break from writing for a time now and am a bit rusty. Also it is nearly midnight and my brain in shutting down.

So I am going to say, "Goodnight!"