“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1–2, ESV)
In the 1400’s, the theologian Thomas a Kempis wrote De Imitatione Christi, or in English, The Imitation of Christ. This book is a devotional on how to live the Christian life. Its main focus is to move people away from following mundane worldly beliefs and practices, instead following Christ. Jesus would be THE example for all of life’s choices. Faithful people need only imitate Jesus in order to be true examples of holiness.
When Kempis wrote his book, there were problems in many religious communities. Priests were becoming lukewarm in their faith. Worship services lacked passion and commitment. Too many people of that day merely mouthed the words of the Mass, never really partaking in the meaning of the words! Apathy replaced joy in the spiritual lives of most. Kempis wrote his book to bring people closer to God. He thought Jesus the best human example to complete this task.
Little children find it easier to learn new things by imitating their parents. Students find it easier to understand a new theme by studying the examples of their teachers. Kempis wanted you to use Jesus in the same manner; to imitate Jesus in everyday living.
At various times in your life, you will imitate others in order to learn something new, to fit in, to follow the rules, or out of habit. Teachers often know much about the homelife of a child by watching him or her interact with others. For example, a child that is patient with classmates often has patient parents. Without knowing it, the children are imitating their parents’ behavior.
When I taught pre-marital counseling classes, I often found that the ideas people have about family life and childrearing often are based directly on what they saw at home and with mentors and friends. AND, because people tend to imitate and emulate those around them, it’s crucial that you surround yourself with good role models comprised of healthy, holy, truthful people. Some people, even well-intentioned Christians, do not surround themselves with good role models. Their idols or mentors are sorely lacking in all the most important areas of life, especially the spiritual life.
“A 12 year-old boy doused himself with rubbing alcohol and set himself on fire imitating a scene he had seen in a rock music video, authorities said. The boy, a fan of heavy-metal music who takes electric guitar lessons and wears an earring in the shape of a cross, said he was inspired by a member of the band “Motley Crue”, performing in a television video.
“He just lit his legs on fire, and nothing happened to him,” the sixth grader said.
“He dropped to the ground and rolled around, but the fire would not go out.”
The youth ran to the bathroom and got in the tub, which was filled with water from a bath he had taken earlier.” (As reported in the section on “Evil” in 6,000 Plus Illustrations for Communicating Biblical Truths.)
A woman named Charlene came to see me during office hours. She asked my secretary to speak privately with me. When I finished talking on my phone, my secretary let me know she was there. I came out and greeted her warmly, recognizing her as a member of a prominent family in the church (though she didn’t attend worship very often). I invited her into my office, where she immediately began to bear her soul.
Charlene was having marital problems. She had been married for six years to her college sweetheart. They had a daughter who was three. Husband and wife both had good jobs. They lived in a new subdivision in the town. They seemed to have everything. However, Charlene was not happy. Recently, arguments dominated home interactions. Charlene was contemplating divorce.
After meeting several times with Charlene and her husband, several things became clear. First, the stress of a young child with two full-time working parents was taking a toll. Charlene and her husband were having a hard time with work/home/life balance. Second, the couple did not communicate well. They often were in such a rush that they didn’t take the time to talk about their own needs and issues and hopes and feelings. Third, their division of labor in the household was not healthy. Charlene did too much of the work at home and resented it when her husband didn’t pitch in to her satisfaction.
Though all these issues affecting Charlene and her husband were stressful and damaging, the main reason Charlene considered divorce was because her best friend Linda was a divorcee herself. Charlene confided in Linda about everything going wrong in the marriage. Sadly, Linda always took Charlene’s side. Linda constantly harped on Charlene’s husband. Rather than being a good influence on Charlene and her husband, Linda was driving a wedge between the two. Often, Linda’s advice was not constructive and resulted in more and more fights between Charlene and her husband. Until Charlene came to see me, she saw her husband as the sole source of all her problems and divorce as the only way forward. God had other plans! After six months of honest sharing and loving interaction during counseling sessions, Charlene and her husband ironed out their differences. Their relationship is now stronger than it ever was, two decades later.
A friend can be a holy influence or a bad source of advice. A mentor can give good instruction or lead you down the path of self-destruction. Our scripture for today urges you to be an “imitator of God” (Ephesians 5:1). The very next verse lifts up Jesus’ sacrifices as worthy of consideration. It also commands you to “walk in love, as Christ loved us…”. Get to know the Jesus of scripture. Study His words and responses. Meditate on His actions. You may find that Thomas a Kempis was entirely correct… imitating Jesus is a perfect way to lead a holy and blessed life.
When Kempis wrote his book, there were problems in many religious communities. Priests were becoming lukewarm in their faith. Worship services lacked passion and commitment. Too many people of that day merely mouthed the words of the Mass, never really partaking in the meaning of the words! Apathy replaced joy in the spiritual lives of most. Kempis wrote his book to bring people closer to God. He thought Jesus the best human example to complete this task.
Little children find it easier to learn new things by imitating their parents. Students find it easier to understand a new theme by studying the examples of their teachers. Kempis wanted you to use Jesus in the same manner; to imitate Jesus in everyday living.
At various times in your life, you will imitate others in order to learn something new, to fit in, to follow the rules, or out of habit. Teachers often know much about the homelife of a child by watching him or her interact with others. For example, a child that is patient with classmates often has patient parents. Without knowing it, the children are imitating their parents’ behavior.
When I taught pre-marital counseling classes, I often found that the ideas people have about family life and childrearing often are based directly on what they saw at home and with mentors and friends. AND, because people tend to imitate and emulate those around them, it’s crucial that you surround yourself with good role models comprised of healthy, holy, truthful people. Some people, even well-intentioned Christians, do not surround themselves with good role models. Their idols or mentors are sorely lacking in all the most important areas of life, especially the spiritual life.
“A 12 year-old boy doused himself with rubbing alcohol and set himself on fire imitating a scene he had seen in a rock music video, authorities said. The boy, a fan of heavy-metal music who takes electric guitar lessons and wears an earring in the shape of a cross, said he was inspired by a member of the band “Motley Crue”, performing in a television video.
“He just lit his legs on fire, and nothing happened to him,” the sixth grader said.
“He dropped to the ground and rolled around, but the fire would not go out.”
The youth ran to the bathroom and got in the tub, which was filled with water from a bath he had taken earlier.” (As reported in the section on “Evil” in 6,000 Plus Illustrations for Communicating Biblical Truths.)
A woman named Charlene came to see me during office hours. She asked my secretary to speak privately with me. When I finished talking on my phone, my secretary let me know she was there. I came out and greeted her warmly, recognizing her as a member of a prominent family in the church (though she didn’t attend worship very often). I invited her into my office, where she immediately began to bear her soul.
Charlene was having marital problems. She had been married for six years to her college sweetheart. They had a daughter who was three. Husband and wife both had good jobs. They lived in a new subdivision in the town. They seemed to have everything. However, Charlene was not happy. Recently, arguments dominated home interactions. Charlene was contemplating divorce.
After meeting several times with Charlene and her husband, several things became clear. First, the stress of a young child with two full-time working parents was taking a toll. Charlene and her husband were having a hard time with work/home/life balance. Second, the couple did not communicate well. They often were in such a rush that they didn’t take the time to talk about their own needs and issues and hopes and feelings. Third, their division of labor in the household was not healthy. Charlene did too much of the work at home and resented it when her husband didn’t pitch in to her satisfaction.
Though all these issues affecting Charlene and her husband were stressful and damaging, the main reason Charlene considered divorce was because her best friend Linda was a divorcee herself. Charlene confided in Linda about everything going wrong in the marriage. Sadly, Linda always took Charlene’s side. Linda constantly harped on Charlene’s husband. Rather than being a good influence on Charlene and her husband, Linda was driving a wedge between the two. Often, Linda’s advice was not constructive and resulted in more and more fights between Charlene and her husband. Until Charlene came to see me, she saw her husband as the sole source of all her problems and divorce as the only way forward. God had other plans! After six months of honest sharing and loving interaction during counseling sessions, Charlene and her husband ironed out their differences. Their relationship is now stronger than it ever was, two decades later.
A friend can be a holy influence or a bad source of advice. A mentor can give good instruction or lead you down the path of self-destruction. Our scripture for today urges you to be an “imitator of God” (Ephesians 5:1). The very next verse lifts up Jesus’ sacrifices as worthy of consideration. It also commands you to “walk in love, as Christ loved us…”. Get to know the Jesus of scripture. Study His words and responses. Meditate on His actions. You may find that Thomas a Kempis was entirely correct… imitating Jesus is a perfect way to lead a holy and blessed life.