1 Corinthians 4.15-16 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many
fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. – St. Paul
Who led you to
Christ? Was there anyone who influenced you to turn your life over to Jesus and
follow Him (as he or she followed Him)? Who is your father in Christ?
For some, your Father is your father; you came to Christ
by the power and influence of God’s presence and simply turned your life over
to Him. For others, there was a person or two that convinced you the path you
chose was leading you to nowhere, and somehow you decided to turn and follow
another path, the path of Christ. Would that person have said: “I urge you to
imitate me (as I follow Christ)”?
That’s a big question to an even bigger statement: I urge you to imitate me. Who says that – the timid, the questioning, the
confused!? It takes quite a person to say: I
urge you to imitate me…
The guy who led me to Christ may have been that kind of
person. He was a bit brash and came off as somewhat arrogant. But he had a heart
of gold and he followed Jesus with all of his heart. He urged me to imitate him
in his faith in Jesus. That’s what true discipleship is all about: imitation,
emulation, following the leader. Those kinds of people are fathers.
Awhile back at my men’s group, we mused: who are the fathers in our respective churches?
None of us made the list. I wonder why. Is it because we can’t see ourselves as
fathers; or is it because we’re uncertain of our calling? Part of it may be, we’re
so shocked when we read Paul’s words that we’re blown away at the thought of
anyone on earth urging others to imitate their faith and devotion to Christ?
Even the most spiritual I know seem reticent to act that
way or say such a thing. We judge ourselves weirdly.
So, we’re blown away by Paul, whom we deem as the bellwether
for our faith, but what do we really think about Jesus who said, go everywhere to everyone and tell them
about Me? Do we think Jesus would urge: Imitate
Me, as I give Myself to God? These are questions worth asking. Is Paul on a
pedestal with no room for anyone else? Who are we imitating if we’re not
imitating him? And why, if we’re not, aren’t we? Who are we asking to imitate
us? Or do we dare venture out onto that
ice? If not, why not.
My questions today are: where is my faith taking me; and
who am I following (imitating) to get where I think I’m going? Do I imitate
anyone, or am I just winging it all on my own, hoping for the best? Maybe the
difference in my faith-walk would turn on such questions as these. Maybe God is
waiting for me to urge someone to imitate me in my faith and practice. I think
I am confronted today in the real reality of my faith and understanding.
Father in Heaven,
You did not invite me into the Kingdom to wing it on my own. I believe (at least
for today) that You are urging me to walk in such a way as to urge others to
imitate me in my faith in You. It is not performance or production, but heart.
Is my heart so full before You that I would ask others to follow me as I follow
Jesus – that is the question. Help me to answer it I pray, amen
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