A phrase we used to say a lot when I was a kid was, “when I grow up, I want to be like ____,” and we filled in the blank with someone’s name. It could have been a superhero, it could have been our favorite athlete, or it could have been anyone that we looked up to as a role model. Whoever it was, influenced our thinking and our actions. One of my favorite people when I was growing up was a daredevil named Evel Knievel who jumped over many different kinds of vehicles with a motorcycle. My mother even made me a suit just like his for Halloween parties at school. We also had a small motorcycle that I rode all over a track that I had made at our farm. I was such a fan of Evel Knievel that I had goals of being just like him! A lot of us had superheroes like this that we looked up to and wanted to be just like them.

One drawback about following or imitating someone is that they might not always be the best person to imitate, because they might influence us to make bad choices. Jesus on the other hand is the perfect person to imitate. Jesus taught us many things and was the perfect example of how to live our lives. But Jesus also warned us against imitating the wrong people in Matthew 23:1-4 which says, “1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” You see, Jesus not only taught us how to live a Godly life, he lived that life himself! He always taught what he learned from his Father, and then lived that life as an example for us to follow.

So Church, be careful who you imitate and always be sure it is someone worth imitating. When I was a child, I not only tried to imitate Evel Knievel, I also imitated my own father because my dad was a godly man, who I still to this day look up to and try my best to imitate. Let the reader be encouraged this week to find someone worthy to imitate but most of all, find the Lord Jesus and imitate him!

We invite you to join us at College Hill Church of Christ, 1102 College Blvd., every Sunday morning at 10:30am for worship or follow us on Facebook at College Hill Church of Christ Alva Oklahoma as we stream our worship service every Sunday. We are a fellowship of believers that follow God’s Word and love all who worship with us!