Spiritual Growth - VII

Spiritual Growth
The Value Of Role Models

In previous studies, I have stressed that spiritual growth requires:
Choosing to obey the command of God to grow - 2 Pe 3:18
Believing that we are capable of growth, with God's help - Ph 2:12-13; 4:13
Behavioral and functional goals, in concert with congregational goals - 2 Pe 1:5-8; Ro 12:3-5
Developing habits to reach our goals - 1 Pe 2:2; Ph 4:6-7; He 10:24-25; Ro 12:6-8
Maintaining positive attitudes about the value of our efforts - 1 Co 15:58
Perseverance to remain steadfast in our efforts - He 10:36-39

To aid us further in spiritual growth, we need to appreciate the value of role models.... We are commanded to emulate others - Ph 3:17 “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”; 4:9 “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Even as they sought to emulate Christ - 1 Co 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Why are we commanded to imitate others? Perhaps it is because we are natural imitators. Children imitate their parents, especially in their early years. Children seem to delight in imitating their parents. They quickly pick up their parent's mannerisms: the way they talk, walk, etc. It is as though there was some innate reason for them to imitate mom and dad.

Teenagers imitate their peers and popular idols. As children get older, they may not seek to imitate their parents, but they are still active imitators. For better or worse (usually worse), they seek to emulate those in their peer group, or those whom they hold in high regard (athletes, musicians, etc.). Despite frequent claims to want to "be themselves", you can usually tell by their behavior who they have been watching or listening to.

Christians imitate those they hold in high regard. I have observed that many brethren often reflect the attitudes, dispositions, and conduct of those preachers or elders for whom they have much respect. This can be good, but in some cases it is not.... I have known some Christians (including preachers) whose behavior greatly disturbed me, wondering how they could justify their conduct. But when I saw their peers, or those brethren whom they held in high regard acting in the same way, I began to understand. So we seem to be natural born imitators. Why should we be careful about who we seek to imitate?

Keeping this in mind, let’s consider the value of role models. Good role models can help. By example, they show us what is possible. For example, how a "son of thunder" can become the "apostle of love" - Mk 3:17 “James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);”; Lk 9:54 “And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"’; 1 Jn 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Another example, is how "uneducated and untrained men" can boldly proclaim the gospel of
Christ- Ac 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” By example, they teach us how to reach the same goals, to enjoy a wonderful relationship with God - Ph 4:9 “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” By example, they teach us to remain steadfast despite trials - 2 Co 4:16-18 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Bad role models can hinder. By example, they fail to show us what is possible, even perhaps preventing us from learning of our potential; certainly not encouraging us to strive for excellence. By example, we can pick up their bad habits and dispositions. As indicated earlier, we are naturally imitators. It is not long before our conduct is similar to our role models. If we truly desire to grow spiritually, we need to have good role models. Where are they?

We are blessed with many role models worthy of emulation, we have Deity as Christ encouraged us to do, in showing kindness to our enemies - Mt 5:43-48 ‘"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” As Paul instructed the Ephesians to walk in love - Ep 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” What better example do we have, than that of God and Jesus Christ? Indeed, some of the very titles we wear imply such imitation: Children of God; Disciples of Jesus Christ. -- Do we seek to learn as much about God and Jesus as we do other role models?

We have biblical characters. To the degree they imitate Christ, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians - 1 Co 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” The New Testament is filled with good examples for Christians today. For married couples, there is the example of Aquila and Priscilla - Ro 16:3-5 “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.” For those blessed with things of this life, there is the example of Philemon and Gaius - Phile 1-7 “Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.”; 3 Jn 5-8 “Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.” For women, there is the example of Dorcas - Ac 9:36,39 “Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.” – “So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.” For young men there is the example of Timothy - Ph 2:19-22 “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.” This does not mean to preclude many fine Old Testament examples as well: Joseph, Daniel, Barzillai the Gileadite (an old man who helped David in his affliction - 2 Sam
17:27-29; 19:31-39) and many others. -- Indeed, the Scriptures are filled with many examples worthy of our emulation!

We have many fellow Christians today. As Paul encouraged his fellow Christians to imitate those who provided a similar pattern as did he - Ph 3:17 “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” There are many preachers, teachers, and elders we can emulate. There are many older women that younger women can emulate - Ti 2:3-5 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” There are many younger people worthy of emulation - 1 Ti 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Yet we should be careful, for not all who profess to be Christians behave as they should - Ph 3:18-19 “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” It is important, therefore, that we know the Scriptures well enough to know when someone is worthy of our emulation. -- Yet there are many Christians who can teach and encourage us by their own example, if we will but let them!

If you seek to grow spiritually, take advantage of role models.... Let them show you what is possible! Let them teach you how to obtain the goals you are striving for! Let them encourage you to persevere, knowing that others have traveled the same path before you! Since we are natural born imitators, let us make the choice to imitate the good - 3 Jn 11 “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” Only then do we have the hope of being "of God". The only alternative is to imitate the evil, which prevents us from ever "seeing God". We conclude this lesson with the following words of Scripture:
"And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." - He 6:11-12
Are we imitating those who through faith and patience inherit the promises?