Imitate Me As I Imitate Christ

"Be imitators of me as I imitate Christ"  1 Cor. 11:1

"Therefore, I urge you to imitate me."  1 Cor. 4:16

"Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who live according to the pattern that we set for you."  Phil. 3:17

"Whatever you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, put these things into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you."  Phil. 4:9

Though these verses all refer to the Apostle Paul, I think that they are a good indicator for us that much of the Christian life -- and especially discipleship! -- implies setting an earthly example for others to follow.

I am very mindful of this as I set into this first Avance "YearOut" cycle as the program coordinator.  One of the main components of my role is to set an example for the young adults who are coming to learn about missions.  I have a full schedule of training, visiting host families, giving talks, and even one-on-one coaching times.  However, one of my biggest impacts will be how well I live my life as a Christ-follower in Mexico.  I want to be able to turn to my team and say, along with the Apostle Paul, "Here is an example that you can follow.  Live like I do." 

Wow.  That is scary to even type!  I know my own short-comings, and it would be so much easier to say, "Do as I say, not as I do." However, that is not the model that we have in Scripture.  I want to live my life in such a way that other, younger believers can be encouraged by my testimony and challenged to follow the Lord even deeper.  If you are reading this blog post, I would ask you to take a moment right now to pray for me that I would be able to live in this way.  


Note:  I have been so grateful for my church and team down here, who are tremendous helps in my spiritual growth!  I have also been more disciplined in spending time with the Lord in prayer and Scripture-reading daily.  I know that my life will only bear good fruit as I am connected to the True Vine (John 15).