Follow Me

“Therefore I urge to imitate me.” 1 Corinthians 4:16

My husband and I have been working with the youth at our church lately. We are excited to be a part of the lives of these young men and women. However, as we work with them we are noticing that although many of them have been going to church since they were young, not many of them know how to read and interpret the Bible for themselves; not many of them are sure of their salvation; not many of them know what the Bible says on key issues of their day.

On the other hand, what I love about working with these young ladies (and my husband working with the guys) is that their hearts and minds are open to the truth. More than that, they are curious about my personal story—particularly about how I met my husband and what our dating relationship looked like. At the heart of the issue, they not only want to know what the Bible says, but what it actually looks like when it is being lived out in the life of a believer. They want to know and see what I have done right, but I also find it tremendously valuable to share with them what I have done wrong and how I have learned from my mistakes.

I heard on the radio lately that Jesus spoke to the people in simple, relatable parables (stories) so that they could understand the deep Biblical truths he was teaching them. Whether your children are young or old, I would encourage you to share with them your story (age appropriate, of course) of salvation your successes, and your failures. I also encourage you to read the Bible with your children. Invest in a translation that is suited for their age, help them navigate through the books, chapters, and verses, and ask them questions to make sure they understand what they are reading. Most importantly, let’s live lives worth imitating, so as Paul said we can confidently encourage them to imitate us as we imitate Christ.

As I strive to disciple my own children and the girls I teach at church, I am challenged to be more accessible. I want to invite these girls over for dinner (or while I am making dinner) so that they can see up close what it is like to juggle the responsibilities of home, what it looks like to love my children, and my husband…what it looks like to be a disciple of Christ in the ordinary and extraordinary of everyday. I need to examine my life so that I can confidently say, “Follow Me!”

 Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for providing the ultimate example of how to live a life surrendered to the Father. Thank you for teaching us in simple stories that we can understand. Thank you for your Word that is so transparent and honest in its display of the men and women who sought to follow you. We have the privilege of learning from their godly examples and their mistakes. Help us to live transparent, honest lives of integrity that we can allow others to “read”. Help us disciple our children in a way that points them to you.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Challenge:

When I was little, I always thought my mom was perfect, and that I was the only one who struggled with sin and making right choices. As I got older, I often thought, “Boy, I wish she would have shared that with me. I would have listened more if I knew she was talking from experience.”

1.       So…What areas of your life can you share with your kids to help them grow in their knowledge of the Lord? Help them see how God has transformed (and continues to transform) your life.

2.       Do you need to change the music you listen to, the books you read, or the TV shows you watch so that your example is one they can see and follow? I often find that as believers we are pretty good at listening to Christian radio or reading Christian books, but we often allow ourselves to be entertained by a lot of junk on TV…especially “reality” shows where we watch other people sin and seem to enjoy it. Just a thought…J