It was the last swim of the summer and my daughter, who was around four years old, had been terrified to use the slide and to jump off the diving board all season long. People would plead and encourage her, trying to get her to participate, but the majority of the time the answer was an emphatic “NO!” At the end of the swimming season, we decided to invite some of our close friends over who also had children. One family has two girls who are older than my daughter, Bailey. Bailey is a first-born child who typically relates and plays best with children older than she. That day those girls did flips off the diving board and used the slide, left and right. All of a sudden one of the other moms asked Bailey, “Bailey, Do you want to slide?” Looking at the older girls sliding and not being harmed, she amazingly said, “Yes.” Everyone could tell she was still very timid, but she climbed up the ladder with one of the older girls behind and slid down that slide like a champ! She also allowed herself to be dropped off the diving board that day. It was a big day for Bailey! As I came home to reflect on the events of the day, two verses were brought to my mind.
“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24
As Christians, we need to realize the impact that our faith and the way we live it out on a daily basis affects others. On that particular day at the pool, those older girls had no realization that Bailey was watching their every move and seeing how they reacted to the fears, falls, and fun of the slide. Thankfully, those girls had a great time and their behavior spurred Bailey on to try new things. We need to be aware that others are watching our lives and observing how we live out our faith, both in the good times and the bad times. We need to be intentional about how we practice our faith so we can encourage others in their Christian walk. As we live out our faith, others are strengthened to live out theirs. Whether encouraging someone to take a step out of their comfort zone and share the gospel or to provide support as they are walking through a big trial, our faith can be an example and encouragement to others.
When we think about others imitating our faith, do we have confidence that they will look more like Christ or not? In 1 Corinthians, Paul is telling his readers to imitate him, but the key piece is that he is imitating Christ. Are we imitating Christ enough to tell others to do as we do and live as we live? Our job as Christians is to imitate Christ as much as we can so then we can motivate others to acts of love and good works. Whether we want to admit it or not, people are watching how we live out our faith. Is it worth imitating? Is it encouraging growth in others?
This blog was written by Amy Carrico: Author of Making the Moments Matter Blog
Last Updated on July 1, 2024
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