Iron Sharpens Iron

In this week’s reflections I took a look at the more serious aspects of being a follower of Jesus. Being a follower of Jesus means that we are imitators of Jesus.

Someone wrote that we “mimic” Jesus, but I do not believe that mimic is the right word. We mimic someone in order to entertain others or to ridicule the person we are mimicking.

We, on the other hand, imitate Jesus because we want to be more like Jesus, and we also want to experience Jesus. We imitate his character. We put into practice what he taught and how he lived.

By how Jesus lived, I do not mean we wear a robe and sandals, hangout with twelve guys, and walk from town to town preaching and teaching. I mean how he interacted with people. These interactions are expressions of his character.

Following him, Jesus tells us, deserves our complete attention. We cannot go about it in a half-hearted manner like we might many of life’s other pursuits. It concerns what really matters. Like karate we have to work at it. (Yes, I am a martial arts fan.) But it does not mean that we must adopt a somber mien, wear dark clothing, take up the lifestyle of an ascetic, and eschew all earthly pleasures. We do, however, take following Jesus with the seriousness that it warrants.

I have been reading excerpts from the latest Barna report. The percentage of people who claim they are Christians but do not follow Jesus’ teaching and example is stunning. If anyone who reads my reflections thinks I am singling them out and picking on them, they need to think again.

As human beings we are creatures of habit. Regrettably the habits that we have picked up over the years may get in the way of our following Jesus. Those that do, we must unlearn and learn new habits, better habits, to replace them, habits which are in line with the character, the teaching, and the example of Jesus.

Since we are followers of Jesus, imitators of Jesus, we can no longer think and act the way we used to think and act, nor can we think and act the way our non-Christian friends do. Jesus and the apostles make this point over and over again.

It may take us time to change, and it may take effort on our part to change but change we must. We cannot let old habits of rebelling against authority figures, stubbornly defying people whom we perceive as seeking to control us, interfere with making these changes.

If we are to be a follower of Jesus, we must become a new person altogether. We may not become a new person over night but it is the direction our life must take. If we are hazy about what kind of new person we supposed to become, take time to study Jesus’ character, teaching, and example. He is the model of the new person we are to become. He is the model whom God has given us.

One thing I have discovered is that we need each other to become that new person. I do not know how it works but God puts us in each other’ s lives for that purpose. We are gifts to each other. We may say to ourselves after sizing someone up, “Why would God give me such an awful gift. They are such an annoying, tedious person—a real pain in the neck!!” As Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, one person sharpens another.” God knows what he is doing.