PHILIPPIANS 3:17

“Brothers and sisters, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

Didn’t you hate it when your were little and your brother or sister would walk around imitating everything you did or said? There were four of us Willis children in the household, so this was easy to do. It might be cute at first, but the novelty wears off after the first hour or so. I would get so mad if that happened to me. But I gave back as quick as I received, lol.

Paul is inviting the Philippians (and us) to “join in following my example.” The Greek literally reads, “imitators together of me be.” The Greek word for “imitators together” is summimétés. This word only occurs in this verse. It means to be a fellow-imitator. It comes “from a presumed compound of sun and mimeomai; a co-imitator, i.e. Fellow votary – follower together.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).

APPLICATION

The question you have to ask yourself is, “Is my life worth imitating?” Paul could ask this question because his life was dedicated to following Christ. He had made that decision after his Damascus Road experience. He had answered the call of Christ to go and reach the Gentiles with the Gospel. He was confident that his life was worth imitating.

That did not mean Paul was perfect. Far from it. In Romans 7:18 Paul writes, “For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.” (For a look at Paul’s full discourse on this, read Romans 7:14-25.) Despite his battle with his flesh, Paul was confident in his invitation to imitate because it would be Christ they were imitating, not him.

Can you say the same? Could you invite someone to imitate you? When our children are little, they will play dress up and pretend to be mommy or daddy. Will they still want to imitate you when they see you interact with a rude clerk or in rush hour traffic? Our lives have to be a reflection of Jesus. That will draw people to imitate Christ in us.

O Lord, let me decrease so that You can increase. Let others only see Jesus in me.