Paul said to the Thessalonians, "You became imitators of us and of the Lord, in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so...you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia.... 1 Thes 1.6,7

    That verse has been haunting me for a few weeks. Who am I 'imitating', and what sort of example have I become? What does a (fashion) model do? Displays things in the most attractive way in order to cause others to think about doing the same. Its possible for such a model to look good on the outside, and be utterly rotten within. So the analogy breaks down there.

    But it is an interesting picture of what we are to be about. We are to look at Jesus, be filled with His Spirit, imitate Him, and reveal Him to those around us. Are you that kind of model/example? Paul suggested they imitate him, because he loved and served Christ. Can we say that? Most believers I have talked to don't want their kids, or close friends to "be just like me." 

    The sad fact is that there are very few 'models' for us to imitate, but I believe that every one of us should be, and could be if we would simply do what Romans 12.1 & 2 says: "Make a decisive dedication of your bodies (your whole life) to God...and by faith allow His Spirit to control you, and daily renew your mind by pickling in the Scriptures. 

Christ in you is the lost secret of 'modeling'. It is God's only way of producing a person to be imitated. 

bh September 8, 2007
Blog: http://blog.bertsgoodstuff.com