Copy Me
The other day as we were eating breakfast, my oldest son complained about his sister “always” copying him. Tonia and I tried to explain to him that it was a compliment and an honor for his sister to want to copy him. I know it can be annoying to have a younger sister or brother doing everything you do; I had a younger to sister who copied me all the time, and it was annoying and frustrating. However, it wasn’t until I became older did realize that it was a compliment and an honor. Then the sheer responsibility of giving and leaving an example worth copying frightened me. Was I supplying her with a healthy or unhealthy example? Did she see something in me and copy something from me that would negatively affect her later? If so, then I would be responsible for giving her a poor example to copy. I began to feel the weight of my example and pattern?
Whether we know it or not, people, especially our children, watch us very closely and want to be like us. They imitate the way we walk, the way we talk, the way laugh, the way we sit, the way we eat, the way we write, the way we spend money, the way we treat people, and especially the way we treat God. Can’t you feel the weight of your pattern? But, we should not shy away from the responsibility of people wanting to copy us, but lean into it. We should say like Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Copy me as I copy Christ.” The question that I ask myself is, am I giving people a Christlike pattern to copy? Does my life, love, and attitude remind people of Jesus? If not, then maybe I am not doing a good job of copying his radical and perfect pattern. I tell you, some days I simply don’t leave a good pattern for people to follow, not because it’s hard, but because I am selfish and filled with unhealthy pride. Each day, by his grace, I desire to strive to leave an example worth copying and say to others with confidence, Copy me!.
What about you? Are you giving people around you a good pattern to copy? Are you setting healthy or unhealthy examples for people to imitate? Can you say to someone with confidence, “Copy me!”
How do you feel about telling someone: “Copy me!”
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Tags: Good Examples, Imitation, In Christ
May 28th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I have my share of both…healthy and unhealthy examples to follow. My big fight is that often times I too don't want to feel the weight. I just want to be off into my own world…no responsibility, if only for a moment, an hour or even one day {or week…or month …lol}. For those feelings I simply ask God to makeover my heart. But for the good examples, I pray that those seeds fall on fertile soil.
May 28th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
You and me both. I don't like to feel the weight either. The responsibility is too great. Too many lives, futures and destinies may be riding on my words, attitude and actions. It is easier for me to say to people: "Don't look at me; look at Jesus. This is a spiritual cop out, however. With this line of thinking, I don't have to be as careful in "walking it out." Dropping those seeds have to be intentional, don't they? Let's keep giving people examples worth copying. Grace and peace.