Following in Your Footsteps: Role Models

 Do you have a role model? Someone that you wish you could be at least a fraction of who they are? Maybe it's someone that you know personally...someone that you've known for years or perhaps it's someone that you know from a distance. 

Think about for a second what you like about that person.

Do you like the way they dress? Admire their intelligence? The way they carry themselves?

When I was a kid, I had a couple role models (Sarah and Amanda). I remember wanting to dress like them, fix my hair like them, and go to the same college as they did. It may sound silly, but thoughts like, "Would Sarah say that?" or "Would Amanda do that?" occupied my mind often. As a young girl, I was wanting to model my actions around young women that I looked up to.

Now that I'm older, role models are not important to me anymore. However, at the same time, I realize that there is someone that I should try to mirror. This person is a constant presence in my life. Someone that is highly admired, yet someone who is rarely classified as a role model. I'm sad to say that although I know this person, I don't take advantage of modeling my life after this person. Can anybody guess who this person is? Yep, you got it...Jesus.

I'm blessed enough to learn about Jesus and the way He lived His life here on earth by reading the Bible, but when I'm being honest with myself, am I really living out the teachings of Jesus Christ? This has been on my mind a lot lately. Here I have the makings of a perfect role model, but I'm not taking advantage. Jesus modeled the way we are to live in a way that encourages community, growth, and bringing glory to God. 

 Jesus teaches us grace, mercy, forgiveness, patience, humility, and most importantly, love (as well as many others). It makes me sad to think that we pick people like celebrities, bosses and others to be our role models, when we have the perfect role model always available to us...Jesus.

In the next few posts, we'll look at more specifically how Jesus models a lifestyle for us. Maybe we already practice this lifestyle and maybe we don't, but I think it is important to be reminded of who we should really be mirroring. 

Ephesians 5:1 - "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave

 Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." 

Reading plan for the week: 

Today:  Job 14-16

Tuesday: Job 17-20

Wednesday: Job 21-23

Thursday: Job 24-28

Friday: Job 29- 31

Saturday: Job 32-34