Category Archives: Imitation

Bible, Imitation, Influence, Relationships, Scripture, Witnessing

JUST LIKE ME

GALATIANS 4:12

“I beg of you, brothers and sisters, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong;” 

When I travel internationally, I intentionally try to embrace the foods and customs of where I am traveling. They eat differently than I do back home. They may take morning and afternoon tea breaks. They certainly dress different, and in some countries, they drive on the opposite side of the road. I have to become as they are. If they came to the U.S., they would have to adjust their way of living temporarily.

Similarly, Paul is explaining to the Gentile believers there in Galatia how he had become like them, giving up the keeping of the Mosaic law. He had become like them. So, he implores them to become like him. “Imitate me,” he says. Paul tells them to do as he is doing, not like those who are trying to put them back under the Law. They are free in Jesus now. There is no need to follow the Mosaic law anymore.

APPLICATION

In I Corinthians 9:19-22, Paul explains this idea more fully. “19 For though I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may gain more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the Law, I became as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might gain those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without the Law, I became as one without the Law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might gain those who are without the Law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some.”

Now, that was a long passage, but I wanted to share it to show you how Paul did it. We can do the same. Paul became like others, without embracing any sinful lifestyle, to reach them for Christ. Who can you reach that way? Is there a certain group of people you can “become like” to reach? Jesus never expects us to lower His bar of holiness, but He does expect us to lower ourselves in humility. There’s a difference.

This week look around you and ask the Lord who you could “be like” in order to win them to Christ. I am sure there is someone in your sphere of influence whom you could come alongside to lead them toward a saving knowledge of Christ. And be like Paul – don’t be offended by them. Love them like Jesus does.

Some people are hard to love, Lord. Love them through me.

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Bible, Choices, Failures, Faith, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Imitation, Scripture

JUST LIKE DAVID

ZECHARIAH 12:8

“On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them on that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them.”

Most of us don’t like being compared to others, unless that comparison is flattering. Am I right? You don’t want to hear Carl, you remind me of Jack the Ripper. Not a good comparison. There are few comparisons out there that I would want to be attributed to, but even the best had their warts and failures.

David is once again the example Zechariah is using in today’s verse. He says the feeblest of the inhabitants will be a brave fighter like David. Then he says something that really amazes me. He says, “the house of David will be like God.” Now, he doesn’t mean that literally. He means they will be acting holy, recognizing all that God has done in and through them.

APPLICATION

I am reminded of Philippians 2:6. “who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” We are urged to be like Jesus in our everyday encounters with others. We are told to have the same attitude as Christ. We are told to have the mind of Christ. Being Christlike should be our daily pursuit.

I don’t know about you, but I fail miserably. Just like David failed (remember Bathsheba?), we will fail also. The only thing that keeps me from doing that daily is my daily surrender to His Spirit. I allow Jesus to control my thoughts and actions. He has the control panel to my words and deeds. If I do that, I am just doing what He wants me to do.

You may think you are too weak a Christian to be used by Him. Hogwash! Just like the Lord used the feeble in Jerusalem as mighty warriors, He can use you to fight against the evils of this world. You just have to submit. Will you do that today? Be a willing servant, just like David.

Use me, Lord, to do whatever You want accomplished today.

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Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Deceit, Following, Glory, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Imitation, Scripture

IMITATION

AMOS 3:14

“‘For on the day that I punish Israel’s offenses, I will also punish the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off and will fall to the ground.’”

Have you ever heard the expression “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades”? Sometimes imitation is the ultimate flattery. Traveling overseas I have seen some pretty good imitations of handbags and other expensive items. They were close to the original but not quite.

Jeroboam had built an altar at Bethel for the Northern Kingdom to offer their sacrifices. He did not want them going back to Jerusalem to the temple because he feared their allegiance to him might falter. Here, Amos prophesies that altars destruction. It might have been built to look like the original, but it could never replace it.

APPLICATION

Do you live your Christian life like that? Do you try to live an artificial Christian life? You practice your faith on certain days, but on others you live another life. Your faith may look real, but it’s a poor imitation. There can only be one real life for Christ. You can’t fake it.

So, how do you not fake it? There is really only one way. You have to live each and every day with one purpose. That is to glorify Jesus in all you do. If you do that, your life won’t be imitation. It will be real. It will be genuine. It won’t need to be torn down like Jeroboam’s altar.

I am thankful that I can walk with Him daily. His Spirit guides me as I surrender to His will. I don’t like it sometimes, but I know it is the right thing. My flesh wants to rebel, but my spirit leads me. I have learned the hard way, believe me. Trust Him to lead you each day. You won’t regret it.

I trust You Lord to lead me. Even when I resist, pull me along.

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Accountability, Advice, Battles, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Choices, Commands, Devil, Exhortation, Imitation, Mentoring, Parenting, Satan, Scripture

IMITATION

3 JOHN 11

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.”

Some say imitation is the best flattery. To imitate someone means you want to be like them. I can’t think of anyone I would want to imitate except Jesus. Everyone else I know has flaws that would inevitably come out. No one is perfect, right? We imitate people. We have imitation products. We even imitate voices. But there is only one original.

John is telling us to focus on imitating good. That word “imitate” only appears four times in the New Testament (three positive and one negative). It is always in the Middle voice, which means you have to choose to do it. No one is going to make you do it or do it for you. So, John is saying it is our choice whether to imitate evil or good. One choice points to God and the other points to the evil one.

APPLICATION

Man, is this a message for our kids or what? Probably no other decision is going to face them more than this. They are going to be bombarded with choices like this. The evil one wants nothing more than to confuse and bring down our children. If he can get them to choose evil rather than good, he can control their lives.

So, what do we do as parents to protect them? After all, it’s their decision, their choice. We have to fill their minds with the Word of God to help ward off these attacks from the devil. There’s nothing we can say or do. But God’s Word is living and active. It’s sharper than any two-edged sword. It lives within us. If it’s in us, we can ask anything of the Lord, and He will do it for us. That’s the secret weapon.

Are you hiding the Word in your heart to protect yourself from choosing evil? Don’t think just because you are an adult that you have the power to resist the lure of the evil one. No one is immune from his charms. But you can detect and avoid those evil choices simply by staying in the Word. Dig in today. Let it point you in the right direction.

O Father, You are the only one I wish to imitate today. Point me to Your Word so I can learn more and more about You.

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