As a boy, I pretended I was various major league baseball stars as I batted driveway stones for imagined home runs. Those players were my heroes, and I wanted to be like them and experience the love and recognition they enjoyed.
“Influence has been framed as the conscious or subconscious imitation that leads to the spread of effects, behaviors, cognitions, and desires from one person to another or group, or even from one group to another group.”1 Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Imitation is the sincerest form of worship.
Like iron to a magnet, our hearts are attracted to people, places, and things that represent our ideals. We might want to perform like Taylor Swift, swing a baseball bat like Mike Trout, sing like Kelly Clarkson, throw a football like Patrick Mahomes, dance like those on Dancing with the Stars, be as rich as Jeff Bezos, live in a seaside mansion, etc.
Our ideals and what we subsequently imitate shape our lives for better or worse. How we think shapes our feelings and actions.
Unconsciously, we imitate the me-first, pride-oozing attitude of the enemy of the faith (Ezekiel 28:17). Apart from the new birth, that never changes. Even after we are born again, a stubborn desire to be the captain of our ship and exalt ourselves persists. Misdirected worship comes to us as naturally as breathing.
Becoming more like Jesus requires us to change how we think so that we no longer conform to earthly expectations like making a name for us and satisfying our selfish desires (Romans 12:2).
Transformed thinking includes clearly understanding what worship is. The musical part of the church service is considered “worship” in many churches.
That is inadequate because worship should fill every moment of the week. The heart of worshipping Jesus isn’t forgetting about us and singing His praises during a segment of the worship service but submitting to His leading and striving to be like Him 24/7. How so?
We imitate His humility and gentleness (Matthew 11:29). He didn’t pursue earthly greatness. He hid His innate glory. He came to earth to serve others and offer His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). We imitate Him by humbly serving others.
We imitate His self-denial. He makes that a requirement for following Him. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it’” (Matthew 16:24–25 NLT). We imitate Him by saying no to our ways so we can say yes to His.
We imitate His obedience. Jesus lived to do His Father’s will, not His (Luke 22:42). His life was centered on completing the work His Father assigned Him to do (John 17:4). We have a similar assignment (Ephesians 2:10). We imitate Him by sacrificial obedience.
We imitate His life of love. Jesus spent His life doing good (Acts 10:38). He met needs and healed hurts. He spoke the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We imitate Him by loving God with all our being, those in need, other believers, and our enemies as He did (Matthew 22:37-39, John 13:34–35, Matthew 5:44).
We imitate His patient endurance of suffering (1 Peter 2:21–23). He forgave those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). He didn’t strike back at them. He left an example for us to follow. We imitate Him by doing what is right although we suffer for it.2
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God has empowered me to write “His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength.” It’s a free evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship eBook. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead more than 2,400 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 6,031 people. I invite you to check it out. https://www.christiangrowthresources.com/his-power-for-your-weakness
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