By Pastor Jon
And not only of flattery!
You can describe this as the ultimate test. Paul could say, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
Can we say this of ourselves?
This was seemingly one of the easier arguments to understand from the Apostle (2 Peter 3:16): “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” [Emphasis Mine] (1 Peter 2:21). Peter got it.
You could follow Paul because He was following Christ. There is the key for you and me. To the extent this is true, you should be followed. Call this the divine qualification. If you’re thinking the Apostle to the Gentiles must’ve been having a really good day when he wrote 1st Corinthians 11, this was not just a one-time offering. In 2nd Thessalonians 3:7, He reminds, “For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you” (Emphasis Mine). Or take Philippians 4:9, where the former pupil of Gamaliel would opine, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Emphasis Mine).
In our Kiwi culture, we don’t feel comfortable with such public displays of personal affection. We appreciate those who keep it to a bare minimum when referencing themselves. “Good on ya mate,” is Kiwi, for a doing an excellent job. Anything overtly outward is easily viewed as suspect. This is why most would not even consider saying something like Paul. This should underscore how we can easily confuse a shallow cultural show of humility, for the biblical real thing.
Every disciple of Christ should be living in such a way that they can be righteously copied.
It is arrogant to think otherwise. Why? Because Scripture indicates otherwise, and we submit to God’s revelation, as a result. And if the truth be told, it is not whether we are setting an example to be followed, but whether this is a good godly one!
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There are more reasons than one why this remains a personal challenge. Another is the wider cultural value known as Expressive Individualism.
If you are not exactly sure what this terminology means, Trevin Wax, begins a piece with the following cultural one-liners, which can exemplify in practice:
– You be you.
– Be true to yourself.
– Follow your heart.
– Find yourself. [1]
Heard any of these? Maybe offered your own hot-take?
Like many things, they have a kernel, when understood in the right context, but they tend to be emblems of an individual bent on their own life-instruction, as summarised with these words:
The key here is that the purpose of life is to find one’s deepest self and then express that to the world, forging that identity in ways that counter whatever family, friends, political affiliations, previous generations, or religious authorities might say. (Many a Disney movie has followed a narrative plot line of someone finding and forging one’s self-identity in opposition to the naysayers.) [2]
In other words, to locate and live the true you must mean rejecting any over-arching suffocating structural power in your life, which obviously just reduces humanity to a numbered group. We are much too specific; different; distinctive, and individual. Oh the inhumanity. If this was the case, we would need our own personal Scripture, which is really the conclusion of post-modernism.
Mark Sayers is helpful in articulating these ideals:
1. The highest good is individual freedom, happiness, self-definition, and self-expression.
2. Traditions, religions, received wisdom, regulations, and social ties that restrict individual freedom, happiness, self-definition, and self-expression must be reshaped, deconstructed, or destroyed. [3]
Why? Because, to-thine-own-self-authenticity, is the King we must serve. Don’t ask yourself if this is true about you in the theoretical. What examples do you follow in popular culture or inspire you? Why? Are you always the contrarian? What motivates you to be?
The sad tale of this tape is that positively seeking those to follow your lead will be loathed if Expressive Individualism is your zeitgeist. Because you will not want anyone co-opting your own personal stage. I have been there. This diminishes the concept of Imitation to a shadow of itself. You will scare away the tourists.
And on that note, it is worth reading the following elaborations on this Expressiveness: Here. Here. And Here.
If life becomes about me versus the world, this thinking buys into the structure of the Serpent’s, “Did God actually say” lie from Genesis 3. You will struggle to trust any over-arching-meta on your rise. You actually must submit to really break free, and as Keller affirmed on social media, the answer may not be what you actually perceive, or what is expressed inside popular culture:
Because a fish absorbs oxygen from water, not air, it’s free only if it’s restricted to water. If a fish is ‘freed’ from the river & put out on the grass to explore, its freedom to move & soon live is destroyed. Real freedom isn’t restrictionless, it’s finding the right ones.
The right ones involve the Lordship of Christ and submission to the Scriptures.
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Practically, it should make you into a different kind of Super Model.
Rude question: Is anyone watching your world, thinking, “I can actually follow their faithful example into real life?”
Maybe this is the type of examination you need to answer; to help you to truly see yourself; outside the platitudinal lines we tend to deceive ourselves into believing.
This can then, be formalised with/as a mentor.
Though the contexts and the cultures may vary, mentoring in essence means that a master, expert, or someone with significant experience is imparting knowledge and skill to a novice in an atmosphere of discipline, commitment, and accountability. [4]
This requires humility, which is why the very act of initiating the process is a commentary on your person.
We at RELOVUTIONARY are committed to this process.
Our goal is to see everyone connected with this type of shape or process. If you are wanting to grow, which should be a stupid question, our door is always open. Maybe it’s about time to get realistic about the future. This can start by looking at the past, which is definitional for where you reside in the present. You want to continue that journey? Maybe get on this Bus!
What Say You?
For the Fame of His Name
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[1] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/expressive-individualism-what-is-it/.
[2] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/expressive-individualism-what-is-it/.
[3] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/expressive-individualism-what-is-it/.
[4] Edward L. Smither, Augustine as Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders, page 4 [Amazon Digital Services LLC].