June 02, 2010
Repeating What I Heard
My husband is the middle child of three brothers very close in age. During their teens and pre-teens, the youngest brother Jim got mad at the other two and decided to run away from home. Bill said, “Ray and I just parroted back what we’d always heard Dad say…‘let me help you pack’.” Sure enough Jim ran away and walked over 15 miles before a family friend (State Patrolman) found him and brought him home. Obviously in this case egging Jim on by offering to help him pack was no help at all. However, in the believer’s world there is merit in being able to know and repeat back what the Father says. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4 ESV)
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Gail;
-----Paul said, “...be imitators of God.” To quote Scripture is fine, but to live it speaks deeper. We have been called to meet together to allow His nature to flow amongst us by human nature, growing us up in every way into Him. It is human nature to repeat the impressionable things others say and do, especially when the other is so significant as to be marked in our hearts like a dad is. So Paul also told the Corinthians, Philippians, and Thessalonians to imitate him. The author of Hebrews said to be “...imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises,” (Heb 6:12) And to the Philippians Paul wrote, “...mark those who so live as you have an example in us.” (Phil 3:17). It is through this human nature of imitating others that language and culture are shaped and values are spread and shared.
-----When good men and women become real in Christ, their deeds and expressions become influential. So the community God makes among those Christ has made alive becomes very important for the spiritual growth of His church. Responsibility in that community is twofold. First, the leaders must be responsible to live as examples (I Pet 5:3). That is why the attributes for elders and deacons given in I Timothy and Titus have everything to do with uprightness of character and ability to teach, and quite nothing to do with successful business careers. They are to be men who have fully put on Christ in whose hearts the His word dwells richly. They are impressionable. Second, everyone should mark such people as Paul told the Philippians to do. For sure, it is the mental noting of another that opens the gateway of the heart through which influence and inspiration will then flow. Not to help Sharpie sales, the marking is by attention, admiration, and affection. And it is to be done with care, because nobody is yet perfect. In fact, many are more imperfect than what is healthy for this flow of influence. “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that what I am writing to you is a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized.” (I Cor 14:37-38). This was not that Paul was lustful about authority, but that he was caring about influences.
-----Truly, from His love God gave us the most we could have - eternal life. (John 3:16). But just as surely, He acknowledges the growth in that life we can now have through participating in this community of believers. (Malachi 3:16).
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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