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

I need more fruit!

 

I need more fruit. Plain and simple. Did you know that the recommended amount of fruit for adults is a minimum of two cups a day. Fruit is an important part of healthy living because it gives us vitamins and minerals that help fight of illness, strengthen our immune system and give us energy. 

Are you getting the recommended amount of fruit a day?

That's not the only fruit I need more of...I need more fruit of the Spirit.

 

Have you heard of the "fruit of the Spirit"? If you haven't, that's okay because you are about to learn them! We learn about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23..."But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." So basically the fruit of the Spirit is an attitude, a lifestyle, a result of living in the Spirit, not an actual fruit that you eat. So you may eat a cup of strawberries and an apple a day, but are you forebearing the fruit of the Spirit? I'll be honest with you...I sometimes (well, more than sometimes) struggle with the fruit of the Spirit. I've noticed, however, that the more dedicated I am to serving God, the easier it is to live by the fruit of the Spirit. For example, the days where I have dedicated my whole self to God and have immersed myself in the Word, I feel this joy and I think, "Why do I feel so free and so happy?" Or when I'm at the store and it's so easy for me to be kind to others, I think "What has gotten into me?!" God then reminds me, "Hellooo!! It's my Spirit! Duh Chelsea!!" The more focused I am on God, the Holy Spirit intervenes and gives me the ability to live in "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodnesss, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control". Now, I'm not saying I'm perfect when that happens (because I'm not), but it becomes possible to bear that kind of fruit when I'm living by the Spirit. When I'm loving, kind, faithful, gentle, etc., that is NOT me...it is the Holy Spirit living IN me. The Holy Spirit can live in ALL of us. It's definitely a choice to follow Christ and to live as He has called us to live, when we do that the Holy Spirit kind of "takes over". Can you imagine if EVERYONE produced the fruit of the Spirit? Oh my goodness, that would be AWESOME! This world would be a MUCH happier place! We can't change other people and the decisions they make, BUT we can change the way WE think and the way WE live.

 

So think about this...are YOU bearing the fruit of the Spirit? Are you focused on God? If not, ask God to give you the hunger to seek Him, to live out His calling on your life, and to bear the fruit of His Holy Spirit. He wants us to live that way! So I challenge you to really dedicate yourself to God and His teaching. Trust me, you will produce some AWESOME fruit (of the Spirit, which is better than an actual fruit!). Plus, people like that kind of fruit (of the Spirit)...I mean, who wants to be around someone who is hateful, sad, impatient, rude, unfaithful, aggressive and impulsive? Um, I know I don't!

 

Pray this with me...Dear God, I thank you that you make it so clear in Your word what you can produce in me when I live according to Your will. Help me to hunger for Your Word and to live the way You have called me to live. Move your Spirit within me and produce fruit that will bring others to You. Thank you for the many blessings you have given me. In Christ's name, Amen.

 

P.S.- If you are following along with the read-your-bible-in-a-year plan, today's reading is Matthew 17 & 18, yesterday's was Matthew 15 &16. Also, if you're memorizing a verse, don't forget to practice it and hold it close to your heart!