Imitation // 3 John 1:11

Have you heard that imitation is the finest form of flattery? I think that’s at the very least mostly true. I know there are people I admire and try to emulate. From trying to mirror Dale Murphy’s batting stance as a kid to mimicking techniques of my favorite preachers/teachers, imitation gives us glimpses into not only how we can improve, but why we should. The reality is that imitation is one of the primary ways we learn. As babies, we learn the signals around us in terms of facial expressions, sounds, etc., and imitate them as we learn to relate to the world. This can become a problem in our adolescent and teen years if we are impressed by people who act badly and we give into peer pressure and/or behave like people we’re trying to impress. God knows this about us because God made us this way. The Bible teaches that we need to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1-2), but that presupposed we might also be inclined to replicate other behaviors. This is precisely why John wrote what he did as a caution against imitating good as opposed to evil. Are you guilty of imitating the wrong things or people? It is never too late to start mirroring the ways of God. He wants to replicate His character in you, making you more like Jesus. Now THAT is someone you should emulate, right? For the Lord, though, this isn’t flattery; no, it’s a commandment for holiness.