Are You an Imitator?

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”  Luke 6:40

A woman invited some people over for dinner. At the table she turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?” The girl replied, “I wouldn't know what to say.” “Just say what you heard Mommy say,” the mother answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, “Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”

Most of us have experienced children who act and speak just like a parent. You look at them and almost immediately, you know the parents to which they belong. As is in the story above, you can also tell what some parents are saying and teaching their children.

A disciple is not only a learner but an imitator of his or her teacher. To be a disciple of Jesus is not only to know His teachings but to be an imitator of Him. When Jesus walked the earth, He was teaching some very important things and some very difficult things. He consistently taught that following Him began with loving the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:30)

To love Him means that it requires faith in Him and submission to His authority. The Bible says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Love of Jesus, God’s Son, is the motivator of keeping His commands: “The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21)

Jesus taught us to love our enemies; forgive others as He has forgiven us; to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him; to not be served but to serve, to make disciples, followers of others, teaching them to obey these and so many more things that Jesus taught.

So are we imitating our teacher, Jesus? Do others know that we belong to Him? You see, when we don’t keep the commands of Jesus, it is more than just an obedience problem. It is a love problem. We love other things, people, hobbies, activities, places, houses, cars, more than we love Him.

Jesus taught His disciples to walk together on mission for Him. They would be witnesses of the good news of Jesus together, pray together, study the Scriptures together, and would live it in the face of persecution. Jesus has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us and give us power to walk in Him.

What would it look like for you to love and live for Jesus first? Do people around you think, at the very least, I want what that person has? If they ask, would the answer be that it is about Jesus who has forgiven you and changed your life?

To keep growing, we need each other. Have you considered being in a discipleship group? How about a Life Group? These are ways that you can belong to a group of believers, strengthen your belief in Jesus, and become all that He wants you to be for His glory. If you are not taking a next step toward life in Jesus or you just feel stuck, ask a person on our staff or other leaders  in our church.  They will point you in the right direction.