Somebody’s watching you!

In the church’s café on Sunday morning, I was reminded of a powerful truth by a little boy about 18 months old. Nathan is a the cutest little tike… blond hair, square little body, twinkling eyes. I sat down on the pew along the wall and as he toddled I reached out to pick him and sit him down next to me. He looked up with a shy smile. I crossed my legs, he crossed his. “Ah,” I thought, “he’s copying me.” So I lifted my hand in a peace sign. Ditto for Nathan! (Well, a was a lop-sided sort of peace sign, but the hand placement was the same as mine!) For the next couple of minutes, what I did; he did. We had fun connecting. I can only hope that if God allows me to be Nathan’s pastor for many more years, that he will find other more important things worth in my life that are worth mimicking.

Surely your son or daughter will pattern themselves, both consciously and unconsciously to be ‘just like’ you. Maybe it’s that neighbor across the street who is looking for spiritual reality who is inspecting your life! Is there a younger Christian looking for a model of faith in you? Somebody’s watching you, disciple. Will your life stand up to their scrutiny? If they look deeper than the surface will they find integrity, sincere devotion to the One you claim to follow? I always attempt to remember that the best lessons are those lived. The choices I make are much more influential, long-term, than the words I say.

With no sense of arrogance or self-aggrandizement we should be able to invite others to follow in our footsteps. Paul wrote to Believers and told them to "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." (Philippians 3:17, NIV) He commended another local group of Believers for learning from his life. "You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble." (1 Thessalonians 1:5-6, The Message)

Make sure your eyes on focused on Jesus Christ as the Perfect Model. Ultimately, He is the Way and we all follow Him. Disciple, I urge you to deal with the inconsistencies, the flaws, the sins so that those who choose you as their model will not be discouraged or disillusioned when they really get to know you! Be mentored and mentor somebody. That’s God’s plan for discipleship.

"Command and teach these things. … Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."
(1 Timothy 4:15-16, NIV)

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Jesus calls me; I must follow,
Follow Him today.
When His tender voice is pleading,
How can I delay?

Follow, I will follow Thee, my Lord,
Follow every passing day.
My tomorrows are all known to Thee;
Thou wilt lead me all the way.

Howard Brown
Public Domain