The Imitation Game

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Read: Nehemiah 12:27-13:31, 1 Corinthians 11:1-16, Psalm 35:1-16, Proverbs 21:17-18

Relate: Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. That’s a bold statement. It seems so counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? I mean, far more often I hear good and well-meaning Christians say “Don’t follow me, follow Jesus.” That phrase is so common you can buy a bumper sticker of the phrase with multiple different graphic and text options on Amazon (among other places, I’m sure). Even as I sit here and type, I can think of at least a few times where I have told people some variation of “don’t follow me”. I mean it in humility and in recognition of my own faults and failures but am I wrong in saying it? Have you used this phrase?

React: What would it look like to live a life of such openness and integrity that I could say just like Paul, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ”? What are the areas of my life that I still need to clean up before I could say such a thing with confidence? Why? I mean, why haven’t I already cleaned them up already? Why do I allow such habits and faults to continue to mar my witness? Am I just playing a game of Christianity or am I serious about this walk I am supposed to be on? Why am I not making more steady progress in becoming so much an imitation of Him that others could imitate me?

Respond:

Dear God,
I want to imitate You. That is an easy thing to say, but if it is true then it should be happening a lot more than it is. Please remove the pull of sin in my life. Please strip away the pride that makes me keep thinking that my own will and my own way is something worth pursuing. Bring me ever closer to the point that I could say like Paul, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” Help me to not just call myself but truly live as a Christian. Help me to truly be Christ-like. When people see me, let them see You.
Amen

14 thoughts on “The Imitation Game”

“What would it look like to live a life of such openness and integrity that I could say just like Paul, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ”? Ouch! Looks like I have some more journeying to do. May Christ give us the strength and direction.

We strive to achieve. Glory is found in being the Billboard for Christ. Don’t sell yourself short.

Good word for today. Thank you.

Imitating is not an imitation but an Spirit-born process taking place in each believer as we grow in our knowledge, understanding and love of our God and Savior. The “old man” dies as the “new man” thrives.

Yes, a great question. What if?…

Wonderful word! Thank you!

Nice

Amen. Christian. Christ follower. Lord Jesus, help me to imitate You.

Paul suffered a lot for his faith, just as Christ suffered. he was bold about it as Christ was bold. So he could say “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”
I think we should all live in such a way as to never be ashamed to tell anyone to imitate us.
Just like how an art teacher will tell their students to copy their strokes.
The problem is putting ourselves down even when we do something well has become a habit for us, so even if we are worth following, we don’t have the confidence to know it.
But I think anyone who said this would have to be pretty sure they were in line with God.
And I also doubt Paul was trying to say he was like Christ in every way, I think he was pointing out what he had mastered in imitation, and telling them to copy him in that. We are all good at something.

Amen! We need to strive daily to be like Christ and encourage others to be like Him also. Our lives should represent Him. We need to work together to be more like Jesus everyday. Thanks for sharing.