CARDBOARD CUT-OUTS

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”         1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)

A few days ago, my 10-year-old daughter showed me something that she had made: a cardboard cutout of a smartphone complete with all the apps that she would want (including the Faith Bible Church app). If you are around children for any amount of time, you know they tend to mimic adult behaviors and actions, whether good or bad. My daughter was very proud of her phone and loved playing with it, but it made me think about the apps she selected. Many were apps and websites she has seen my wife and I use. Children reflect what they see and many times, they find interest in the things we as parents also find interest in, including what apps we use on our phones.      
   
If our family and the people around us are going to follow our example, we need to make sure that we are being the example they need. Paul writes to the Corinthians, not to offer himself as the perfect example, but to point towards Jesus as our ultimate example to follow and model our lives after. Jesus is not just a “good teacher” to listen to every now and then, but, as believers, we are called to live out our identity in Him completely. An identity we can “put on” through the power of the Holy Spirit, becoming more like Jesus every day (Gal. 3:27, Eph. 4:24, 1 Pet. 2:21).

When we truly start following Jesus and looking like Him, incredible change happens. Our priorities and actions start to reflect our loving Savior as we grow to love others as Jesus loved (1 John 4:19). He is our example of how to joyfully love others and put them first. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, Jesus made us alive when we were dead (Eph 2:4-5) and in Christ we are new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) and we are called to reflect Him.

The Westminster Catechism reminds us that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever”. Our purpose in life is to honor and glorify God in every part of our lives and in fulfilling that purpose, we find complete joy and satisfaction in Him (John 15:10-12). We glorify God by imitating Christ (Col. 1:27). Just like a child who reflect the interests and actions of their parents, we too should reflect the interests and actions of Jesus to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:11-14).