Be Imitators

You also became imitators of us and of the LORD, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.  (1 Thessalonians 1:6 NASV).

   My handicapped grandson looked up at me and patted the floor.  I knew what that meant.  Come down and play with me. As we sat on the floor together, I noticed Jonathan copying each move I made with the cars and trucks.  I lined them up in a row; he did the same.  I said to him, "Jonathan you are a copycat."

   At that moment I realized what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, "You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia."  (1 Thess. 1:6-7 NASV). 

   Since those around me are watching, I need to duplicate the words and actions of Jesus for them to imitate. There is no better way to demonstrate the message Jesus brought than through my everyday actions.  I need to be a living example of the love of God. 

   Jesus showed compassion.  He provided help to the needy.  He prayed over the sick.  He modeled the kind of Christian life that I should follow.  What kind of example do I portray to the grocery clerk, the gas station attendant, the postman, the delivery boy, or the average person on the street? 

   Jonathan's actions in imitating all the different ways I moved the cars and trucks reveal to me that countless people within the sphere of my existence may be copying my moves as well.  Are you living the type of life that God wants other people to imitate?  If you are, then praise God for a life well lived.  If not, then why not ask God to help you become an imitator of Christ.  Make a list of ways you can imitate Christ today!

   Thought for the Day: God is looking for imitators of His Son.