If Everyone Were Like Me
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” — I Corinthians 11:1
No two people in the Lord’s church are the same. We have different personalities; we come from different backgrounds. We’ve all been blessed by God with different gifts and abilities. But we come together for a common cause, with a common goal, as we walk in unity (Eph. 4:4-6). And no matter who you are in this one body, you have the power to influence. We all have the power to influence. As a Christian, I’ve got to ask myself: Am I having a Godly impact on others? What are people seeing? What are people hearing?
The apostles’ lives were open books (II Cor. 4:1-2). They practiced what they preached. Do we? As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus (I Pet. 2:21). If we are following Jesus, then our lives will reflect that of Christ.
If your family was more like you, would they be more or less inclined to study God’s Word? II Tim. 2:15 says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Consider your Bible study habits, and are they like that of the Bereans’ in Acts 17:11?
If your family was more like you, would they be more or less inclined to pray (I Thess. 5:17)? We are in a spiritual warfare, and we are vulnerable if we don’t pray (Eph. 6:18). If your family was more like you, would they be more or less spiritually minded (Col. 3:1-3)? The world wants us to focus on temporal things, and we can comply because our minds are going at a frantic pace. But a Christian’s life is no longer dictated by the world, but of the “things of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:5-10).
If Christians were more like you, would they more or less inclined to attend the assemblies (Heb. 10:24-25)? If Christians were more like you, would they be more or less inclined to help others (II Cor. 8:1-9)? The Macedonians were a great example of giving because they first gave themselves to the Lord. Let us look for opportunities to do good (Gal. 6:10). If Christians were more like you, would they be more or less inclined to spread the gospel (Matt. 28:18-20)?
The goal, when we let our lights shine, is to “glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). The apostle Paul understood the necessity of setting the proper example (I Cor. 9:27). Remember: We are people of influence, and we will be held accountable for our actions, whether they are good or bad (II Cor. 5:10).
