Follow Me as I Follow

It amazes me how much our kids repeat our habits whether good or bad. Unfortunately, they seem to pick up our bad habits quicker than our good ones. It must be easier to do wrong...

"Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ."
Philippians 3:17-18

Sometimes we water down what Paul was really like. He was a murderer and not just some murderer but a killer of God's people. On that road to Damascus a ray of hope came into his life and now he doesn't just say pattern your lives after mine but he lives it. He urges the Corinthians to imitate his life in 1 Corinthians 4:16. That is a bold statement.

Can we say the same thing? Do we live a life that people want to follow?

How do we get to that place where people imitate us for a good, godly reason? Not because of our sense of style, our athletic ability, musical talent, or the house or car we own. But people want to be like us because we follow Christ?

"Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had." Philippians 2:3-5

Jesus brought the good news to the poor, proclaimed the captives free, the blind could see, the oppressed were set free. Not just physically but spiritually. He gave a voice to the mute and names to the faceless. Hope. He became one of us, but more than that, He became our servant, showing us how to live.

The only way to become like Christ is to spend time with Christ.

"Tell me how much time you spend alone with God and I will tell you how spiritual you are. Not how many meetings you go to, not how many gifts you have, not how many sermons you preach, not how many records you have made. Tell me what time you spend alone with God and I will tell you how spiritual you are." Leonard Ravenhill

Do people know you spend time with Jesus? They will by your life. This was true with Paul, the two prisoners, and the other disciples. To have the attributes, attitude and to be someone who people want to be like, you have to spend time with God. If you spend time with Jesus you will start to change and people will notice.

So the question is, why should people follow you?

Be blessed,
Steve