JUST LOOK AT ME
‘Mummy, I don’t know how to fold them, Shally will fold them when she’s done with washing the plates’ That was the response of 7-year-old Sharon to her mother’s instruction that she folds her clothes and arrange them in her wardrobe on a Sunday evening. Shally was her elder sister and had assisted their mother in most house chores. Their mum willing to relieve Shally, decided to teach her how to go about this chore. So, she said “Just look at me” as she taught little Sharon on folding her clothes by herself, step by step.
The people of the world are confused about what constitutes the godly life, because of ingenuine salvation and empty professions of those who claim to be believers. They had been disappointed on several occasions by the demeaning lives of people who professed they were believers, but whose lives contradicted their professions (Titus 1:16). Genuine believers must make a difference by living unreproachable lives that are distinctively holy and righteous in all we do, so that by just looking at us, they know the standard of the scriptures.
In the home, children copy and pattern their lives after that of their parents. Have you seen a little boy shake his head and pray as his dad would do? Or girls getting into mummies’ shoes and adorning themselves just like they do? We must ensure we do not live lives that confuse our kids because of inconsistencies. Younger believers are watching us too, and our lives must be a clear pattern and signal showing them holiness.
Hebrews 12:2 admonishes us to look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. We must pattern our lifestyle to resemble that of our Master and Lord. We must follow His pattern of holiness, righteousness, service, endurance, patience and love. Paul the apostle lived a challenging life after his conversion and boldly told the Corinthians to follow him as he was sure that he was following the Lord (I Cor 11:1; Philippians 4:9). In following Jesus, we must avoid unhealthy comparisons. It is good to always be zealously affected by a good thing, not the bad (Galatians 4:17-18). We are individually responsible to God. We will give an account of our lives and service one by one to the Master on the last day.
We must be diligent, ensure we are up to the task on assignments committed to our hands, and serve faithfully. When Jesus spoke to Peter in John Chapter 21 about the need to follow Him, Peter then asked Jesus about John, and the Lord shifted his mind from such comparison and reiterated he should follow Him. They that compared themselves with themselves are not wise (2 Cor 10:12). We must weigh our lives based on God’s word and not those of our fellow humans. We must keep looking unto Jesus, and do what he would have done if he was in our shoes. Look at Him through His word, and then do just as He does. The Lord grant you and me the grace to follow Jesus. Amen.