The Pastor’s Pen

By Steven Temple

 

They say the highest form of flattery is imitation. Admiration so great that it causes another person to imitate another’s style, behavior, or actions. It means something when you find someone that you find these qualities in that you model so closely.

All of our lives we have done this time and time again. When we are young, many look to a movie star or an athlete and dream of following their footsteps. They will model them in their actions, as they daydream, and follow their every move. Sometimes even researching all about them in order to change their own lifestyles to match that of the one they are imitating.

I can remember growing up while playing football that I would pretend to be the late, great, Chicago Bears running back, Walter Payton. As I would be outside playing in the yard, I would imitate his moves and the way he would play the game. I even wanted to wear his jersey number when I played on a team. I ended up wearing this number my senior year of high school.

Outside of some distant famous person we find ourselves imitating those that we surround ourselves with. We tend to have the same likes and dislikes as the group of friends that we associate with the most. We will even wear the same type of clothes. Many children will imitate their parents. We seem to always be molding ourselves in the shadows of someone in one particular way or another.

The circle that we find ourselves in during life plays a critical role in who or what we become in life. We continue this imitation all throughout our lives. We seem to navigate towards the people that we are most like or want to be like in every area of our life. Even those that we work with we will find ourselves navigated to that have the same path or skills that we possess.

We resemble those that we spend the most time with. Who you spend the most time with will be shown in who you are. We are likely to pick up the good habits of those around us as well as those bad habits. They seem to go hand in hand. What have you picked up in life?

I began to think about the Apostles and how the Pharisees could tell they were different. The Bible says in Acts 4:13 “And they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” The sights, the language, the actions, the beliefs radiated from them and told others that they were followers of Jesus without them having to announce it.

A Christian should be a striking resemblance or likeness of Jesus in their walk. We should be known by our desire to live and do as He has done. If we are what we profess to be, we should imitate Him in all areas of our lives. No one should ever have to guess or think about what part we have in Christ. We should be like Him in every aspect, in our dealings, in our actions, in the way we speak, in the way we deal with others, when others look at us they should be able to know that we have been with Jesus.

There was a time when Peter tried to deny Christ but he was unsuccessful. The crowd said, “even his speech betrays him.” There is a difference when we model our lives after Christ. It is known that we have been in His presence by the way we carry ourselves in our day to day. People are always reading us and searching us even when we think not. Every detail of our life should point them towards Jesus.

There are many people that we can look up to or model after or try to imitate in this life but none greater than that of the King of all Kings and the Lord of all Lords. Today, let us fasten our eyes upon the Savior. It would be an honor in this life to be known as the one who is portraying Christ with their life. After all, imitation is the highest form of flattery.

 

Reverend Steven Temple is the Pastor of The Church on the Hill, located at 681 Highpoint Road, Rose Hill, Virginia. Pastor and congregation welcome you to worship with them. Services are as follows: Sunday morning Bible study at 10 a.m., Sunday worship, 11am, and Wednesday evening worship at 7 p.m.