Be Imitators of Me

Three of my grandsons love baseball. And that is an understatement. Growing up they lived it. They chewed wads of gum, memorized plays, and spit. Yes, those little guys could spit with the best of them. Although today they are past the little boy stage, I still have frozen in my memory pictures of their dad training them how to throw, catch, and bat. I remember the intensity in their eyes, the determination of their stance, and the diligence of their commitment.

“Bring your arm back like this,” my son-in-law demonstrated.

And just like dad, the boys mimicked the same movement. They fingered the ball like he did, turning it just right. They pawed and stomped the ground and curled their tongues to the side, just like him.

They watched innumerable Cardinals games which filled out their little boy growing-up-like-baseball-heroes experience. They knew names, data, and teams.

While they imitated the masters, their skills grew. The cuteness of their little uniforms and fierce competition turned into formidable expertise. All three today are great players and enjoy participating in the sport at every possible opportunity.

  “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ,” Paul told the believers in Corinth. (1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV)

I’ve often wondered how Paul had the courage to say this. It would be difficult for me to make that statement. Could you? It seems kind of arrogantly cringy. So what’s that all about? 

If we dig into his declaration, however, the audacity of it humbles us. Surely he felt it too. The boldness with which he could say what he did rested squarely upon whom he followed. The credit belonged to the Person the Apostle Paul desired to emulate.

“Watch how I follow Christ,” he seemed to say, “and then do the same.”

Being a disciple of the Master humbles even the most gifted and capable person. Because a true follower of Jesus recognizes that it is impossible to ever reach the perfection of a holy God. God is high, we are  not.

No amount of practice, or competence, formula, or personal greatness can contribute to our salvation. Christ accomplished all that we cannot.

It is by the grace of the Master alone that we are invited to learn His ways. And how very humbling that He would reach down to one undeserving and say, “You. I want you to imitate me. Be like Me. Walk as I do.”

Speaking to the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged the believers to make sure that whatever they did, that in every aspect of daily life, to “do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV)

Paul’s words to them was not an anomaly.

In 1 Thessalonians 1:6, the same word “mimetes,” is used where Paul speaks of becoming “imitators of us and the Lord.”

In Ephesians Paul says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” (Ephesians 5:1 ESV).

The author of Hebrews also encourages his readers to be mimickers of those who through faith and patience, “inherit the promises.”

Walk in those footsteps. Follow the path of Jesus. Learn from the Master as a humble child would.

I saw this kind of example many times as I grew up. I was taught by others who walked in humble obedience to God’s Word with integrity of character. Truth, principles, and moral uprightness defined their success. I am so very grateful for them and privileged God placed them in my life to mentor and shape me. For far beyond their accomplishments in this world, I saw Christ in them.

Paul’s bold statement begs us to consider who are our heroes. Who sits on the pedestal of our admirations? What kind of spiritual example do they set for us?

There are many different types of heroes we can copy. There are the influencers, the famous, and those whose opinions bring popularity. Many of us find it easy to get caught up in their standard of success, in those accomplishments, and our ambitions look toward them.

They become leaders of the way we think and the things we do.

If the heroes we mimic lead us farther from Jesus, we need new heroes. If the heroes we look up to fall and shatter our beliefs, we need to reset our eyes on the real Hero and Foundation of true faith.

My baseball playing grandsons remind me how readily we take on the characteristics and mannerisms of those whom we admire. We might even chew and spit like them. But Who we pattern our lives after makes the real difference.

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ,” Paul declares. It begs the question, if my life is followed by others, where will it lead them?