Soren Kierkegaard said, “Humility before God is true pride.” You know your place before God, therefore you now know your place before the world. We can say as Paul was able to say, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ,” (I Cor 11:1).
The world needs more people who are ridiculously confident that they know what it means to follow Jesus. No more quivering under the false modesty of, “Don’t follow me, just look to Jesus.” Have the confidence to demand that people follow you under full conviction that if they do so, they will find Jesus and his way regardless of the obstacles and setbacks that challenge your destination.
2 responses so far ↓
mwolf34 // February 17, 2008 at 4:51 pm |
“Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Paul quotes Jeremiah early in his letter to the Corinthians. It is either in unbelievable pride or surrender that Paul instructs others to follow his example, perhaps both. Yet he makes it clear in all of his writings that is God working through him that enables him to make statements like this one. If Paul was prideful, he was prideful in what God did in his life.
As Christians we are examples to people. None of us are perfect, but it is like a sports star or famous actor that whines that they are not a role model. The fact that they don’t want to be a role model doesn’t change the fact that many people look up to them as such.
As Christians, people look at us to see how a Christ follower acts. We need to be mindful of this fact and follow Jesus’ example of surrender to God. If we do, we can say as Paul did “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
brian hofmeister // February 19, 2008 at 9:45 am |
I love the athlete illustration. People are watching and learning about Jesus through us whether we like it or not! There’s not dodging the issue.