Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Dear friend,
As I was heading to work the other day, I couldn't help but notice something very peculiar outside my front door. The picture seemed to say a thousand words in this case. In other versions of the Bible we see "follow" here in the NIV translated as "imitator". The Greek work used here, mimétés (mim-ay-tace') has been defined by some as "the positive imitation that arises by admiring the pattern set by someone worthy of emulation" 1. It is from the root of this word that we get our English term "mimic". Paul was telling the Corinthians to be like him because He had dedicated His life to be like Jesus.
As you can see in the picture, the snow no longer looks like the rest of the snow on my front walk but has been pressed against the brick wall and peeled away slightly to display the pattern of its emulator. It's far from the normal pattern of snow and sticks out, immediately drawing my attention every time I pass by. Though imperfect, this metaphor may help draw us to 1 Corinthians 11:1 and understand that we are to imitate Christ, following His pattern and displaying to the world that we are not of our own creation. We are created in the image of God and, as His workmanship, we will naturally "stick out" as we strive to not live according to the pattern of this world but according to the pattern of our Savior.
Father, we pray that, by the power of your Holy Spirit at work within us, we may be more like Christ today than we were yesterday!
In Christ,
Mike
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