What Others See In You

What Others See in You

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

It would be nice to reach the point someday where someone would say, “Tony, I’ve just accepted Jesus. What should I do now to grow?” And for me to respond, “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” I doubt I’ll ever be confident enough to actually say that, but that is the kind of lifestyle we all should be moving toward, a lifestyle that Paul lived. He could legitimately say, “Follow me. Do what I do because I’m following Jesus.”

Whether we realize it or not, we are being watched and our behavior is being followed. People are looking to us as examples of what the Christian life is all about, so we should be maturing and making ourselves better to help them grow. More than likely, new believers will incorporate into their lives what they see in ours, so let’s work to make ours ones that look like Christ.

You see that with the veterans on football teams and pitching staffs. A coach with veteran players can take a step back because those seasoned players will model the behavior he wants in the younger players. During his last years as an active player, Andy Pettitte served as a positive influence with the younger New York Yankee pitchers. He had seen so many situations, survived the New York media for so long, and had dealt with pressure time and again that he was able to model, directly and indirectly, big-league skills and Christlike habits for others on the staff.

You should strive to do the same, whether in the church body as a whole, in a smaller accountability group or Bible study, or in your everyday life, knowing that people are looking for an example of how to be like Jesus.

Uncommon Key > What is something you can model today so that others can see Christ through you? Start with an attribute of Jesus to work on, such as joy or patience.