Setting a good example
I urge you to imitate me. That’s why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go. 1 Corinthians 4:16-17
The disciples learned how to follow Jesus by looking at his example. They saw the way in which he responded to the constant demands of his ministry. They saw his kindness and patience and the way in which he welcomed every kind of person. They were often shocked by the things that he said and by the sort of people that he spent time with. Previously, they would have steered well clear of prostitutes, tax collectors and people with leprosy but Jesus always had time for them.
Paul didn’t have the privilege of observing Jesus’ ministry, but he recognised the crucial importance of people learning by example, and he offered his life as one to be imitated. How else would people learn how to put Christian teaching into practice? In our verses today he told the Corinthian church that he was sending his young friend Timothy to them to remind them of Paul’s example.
I suspect that we would all become rather coy at the thought of people copying our example. But the fact is that every day, as we live for Christ, we are being watched. People are looking at the way we respond to different situations. They see how we face challenges and celebrate successes. There is no way in which we can hide away, so we need to ensure that every day we are setting a good example that is worth following.
QUESTION
Who will be looking at your life today, and what example will you be setting?
PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for all the people who have set a good example for me to follow. Fill me with your Spirit so that I can live a life which will help others to follow you. Amen