June 25 (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Be
imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (ESV)
James Dean spawned a legion of young men who tried to look
tough by adopting his signature look.
Girls did the same thing with Madonna’s fashions in the 1980s. Countless athletes try to mimic their
favorite sports figures. This is why
companies want celebrity endorsements.
They know that we all imitate others, and if the ones we imitate wear
certain clothes, drive certain cars, or eat certain foods, their followers will
do the same.
Paul invited the Corinthians to imitate him, which in his
case meant imitating Christ Jesus. So
what does that mean? First of all, it
means studying Him closely. Ardent fans
can tell you the most obscure details about their favorite stars. What do you know about Jesus? What kind of man is He? What are His interests, His personality, His
desires?
Me? I’m a music
lover, and nothing gets me more pumped than seeing a favorite artist perform
live with the hope of maybe getting to meet the person and catching a selfie
with him. You start finding out who
Jesus is by reading about Him in the Bible, but then you need to meet Him in
person. You see, He really did rise from
the dead. He really does live today. He invites each person into an intimate
relationship with Him. If you want to imitate
Him the way Paul did, you have to get to know him.
Jesus, I want to know You better. I want to know You more personally. At times I have considered You just one more historical figure rather than my living brother, friend, and savior. Show me Who You really are because I want to be more like You. Amen.
Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins
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