Imitations

Imitations

Do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

3 John 1:11 (NIV)

Little children love to play dress-up. They put on coats, hats, and shoes that are much too big for them, cover their faces with makeup, and pretend to be grown up, trying to imitate their heroes—us! And we think it’s funny and cute. We take pictures of them and tell our friends and families about their antics.

I wonder, though, whether sometimes it makes us a little nervous. Are we really worth imitating? After all, when we take a good look at ourselves, we can see the flaws and faults no one else knows about. So it makes sense that we would worry about the possibility of children turning out just like us—imperfect, frail, and faulty.

At a dinner in Hollywood one night to celebrate his birthday, Charlie Chaplin entertained the guests by imitating people they knew—men, women, children, his chauffeur, his Japanese servants, his secretaries.

Finally, toward the end of the evening, Charlie sang—superbly—at the top of his voice an aria from an Italian opera.

“Why, Charlie, I never knew you could sing so beautifully,” someone exclaimed when he had finished.

“I can’t sing at all,” Chaplain responded with mock surprise. “I was only imitating Caruso!”

Perhaps Charlie’s example is a good one for us to consider emulating. When you have done something good and someone else notices and praises you for it, don’t take the credit and respond by saying, “Well, thanks. I do my best.” Instead, say, “I’m not good at all. I was only imitating God, who is good.”

Kind Father, teach me to always give you the credit for any praise or honor bestowed on me, for I know that you alone deserve the glory. Amen.