Who’s faith are you living?
There are some people who just know how to do impressions.
By listening to a song or watching a movie they can pick up on the tone of
voice and sometimes facial expressions. It’s hilarious and even shocking. How
is this familiar sound coming from a different person? Then the game of “say
this” begins where you ask that person to repeat phrases not stated in the
movie. Never played that? Well, next time you’re around an impressionist
friend, go ahead and ask. It could be really fun unless your friend does a
terrible impression.
A bad impression of a character can almost be painful to
watch and listen to. And those attempting this act seem to be more dedicated
than good impressionists. They work so hard to make themselves sound realistic
and it never happens. “Wait, wait, give me one more chance.” I find myself
laughing at them instead of at the impression. To their credit they are trying.
They really want you to believe they’re acting just as well as the actor. Why?
What makes a person want to do an impression of somebody else? A deeper
question might be what is the difference between an impression and imitation?
People in general tend to pick up on the characteristics of
their friends and family. Catch phrases, mannerisms, habits (both bad and
good), sense of humor, how we dress, are influenced by who we spend our time
with. This gathering of traits happens gradually over time, almost without us
being aware of it. For example, take the phrase “cool beans”. I never used to
say this. Until at some point I was around a few individuals who did. I guess
on some level I admired them. I liked the reaction they got when “cool beans”
was used. People smiled and it seemed to be more than just saying, “cool”. But
I don’t think I wanted to be them. I like being me only now with this new
phrase added. They made a lasting impression on me.
Imitation is similar to impression only done with more
intention. We have food products like imitation cheese, butter, and crab. These
three can look and smell and feel like the real thing but on a chemical level
they are different. We buy them because they are cheaper and pretty much taste
the same (and that’s stretching it). An imitation is a calculated move to
behave like someone or something else beyond the point of acting. It’s claiming
to have the same qualities. There are people who get paid to imitate famous
celebrities but I would hope they don’t actually claim to be that person. They don’t
have the history, the memories, the DNA, that the famous person has.
How you live your faith is an imitation which can be a good
or bad thing. We aren’t naturally programmed to follow and love God. The Bible
says that we are like sheep that have gone wandering and in our sin have become
the focus of God’s wrath. However, the bible commands us to be like Christ
Jesus. In this case, it’s perfectly acceptable to be imitators of the way
Christ loved, worshiped, and suffered. In fact, more than imitation, by the
power of the Holy Spirit we are being transformed to be like Christ. This is
impossible to do without the Spirit of God. Fake crab meat will always be fake
crab meat no matter how hard it tries. On the other hand, we will become more
like Christ as his Holy Spirit living in us helps us to intentionally live like
Jesus.
How a person imitates the way Jesus lives, loved, worshiped,
and suffered will look different. God has called each one of us to become the
image of his son but we don’t all have the same experience. When the Spirit of
God is really pouring out through us, people will know its Jesus life we are
showing. We will begin to create memories, history, with the addition of Jesus’
spiritual DNA, which gives our imitation credibility. This takes practice. Reading
the Word of God and applying it to our lives. We’ll make some mistakes and have
tremendous victories as we look to Jesus the author of our faith as the
example. Our faith will be weathered and tested true.
What would happen if a company made imitation cheese based
off another company’s imitation cheese product that another company invented
years earlier? Could it really be classified as cheese in any sense of the
word? Most bad celebrity impressions are imitations done of someone else’s
imitation. In either example you’re not starting with the original material.
This is a problem that we have to be careful of when it pertains to our faith.
The imitation is no longer of Jesus Christ but of someone else’s experience of
following him. Read enough books, listen to enough sermons, spend time around a
strong enough Christian, and instead of working your faith out in Jesus Christ
power there is a tendency to use them. This could be your parents, a pastor, a
friend, someone on T.V., a character in a book. I believe the term is having
faith vicariously or through them.
It’s easier to imitate another person. They obeyed Jesus and
followed him into experiences and emotionally we claim that for our own. Their
story seems more down to earth which somehow makes us feel closer to God. But
are we really getting closer to God or just taking for ourselves the love,
worship, and suffering that Christ gave them the power to perform? Now, it
should be noted that the Apostle Paul asked the Corinthians to be imitators of
his faith. Paul wanted these believers to use his example but if he knew they
were just riding his faith and not really working out their own, he wouldn’t be
very happy. The reality is that we are fooling ourselves and others but we
can’t fool God. He knows how genuine our imitation of Jesus is.
Let your imitation of Jesus be your own. If you hear a good
sermon or you’re inspired by the life of another Christian don’t just take it
in and add to your collection of emotional faith. Jesus is calling you to step
out in faith and that will look and feel different. Want a good story to tell?
Live out your faith and not somebody else’s. Be an imitator of Jesus. He is the
source and the ultimate example. If you don’t then your imitation faith is as
good as fake crab meat. No matter how hard you try to copy and maintain the
faith of another, it’s not your relationship with Jesus it’s theirs. Loving
others is not natural. Worship of God is not natural. Suffering is not a
natural desire. But if your faith is real then you will need the Holy Spirit
and the Word of God working in you to make it an imitation of Jesus in all
these areas.
When your faith is real then people will be drawn to you
because they see Jesus in you. Your faith will be weathered and tested true.
You will know what it means to love, worship, and suffer the way Jesus did.
Keep in mind that the Holy Spirit of God needs to be living in you in order for
this transformation to take place. Being a real imitation of Jesus is
impossible without his Spirit living in you. As for sermons, books, pastors,
friends, the Apostle Paul and whoever you look up to as a Christian, use them
as an example of what is possible. God might have used them in one way but he
has something in mind just for you as you continue to imitate Jesus Christ. You’ll
be able to reach people they never imagined by the faith that God is forming in
you.
Jon-Michael