Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

  - 1 Corinthians 11.1

Among other evidences of holy life, he gave his clergy an inspiring example of self-discipline and continence, and the highest recommendation of his teaching to all was that he and his followers lived as they taught.

  - Bede, Ecclesiastical History, British, 8th century

Bede was writing about Aidan, first Abbot of the monastery on Lindisfarne, and a graduate of Colum Cille’s training school on Iona. Like nearly every other graduate of that program whom we know about, Aidan set an example of godliness, discipline, careful teaching and scholarship, and fervent mission. Those he trained grew up to be like him, as Bede admiringly observed.

They were doing nothing more than following the example of the Apostle Paul, which he commends to every one of us. We are to imitate Paul, in his imitating Jesus. As we do, others will then have something in us to imitate that could lead them to the higher ground of the life of faith.

This imitating others who were following Christ was one of the aspects that lent such power to the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD). Believers were linked in their souls, and took seriously the duty of showing Jesus to one another, teaching, encouraging, and holding one another accountable for living for the Kingdom and glory of God (1 Thess. 2.12).

Imitation is not simply the highest form of flattery. It’s a very potent instructional tool. So important is imitation to learning, that Peter and Paul insisted that Christian leaders should make good use of their personal example in helping others to grow as followers of Christ (cf. Acts 20.18-21; 1 Pet. 5.1-3). Every believer needs someone to imitate, someone who is imitating Jesus in all his ways.

And every one of us needs to remember that, whether we know it or not, people are watching us, and some will imitate our ways, whether for good or ill.

I wonder how comfortable we are at just this moment in recommending ourselves as models of discipleship? “Follow me? Imitate me?” What is the next generation of the followers of Christ learning about discipleship by observing us?

This is the pattern and the paradigm God has established in the Church. Faithful men and women teach others, men teaching men and women teaching women, who teach others also (2 Tim. 2.1; Tit. 2.1-5). Prominent in that teaching is presenting an exemplary life of discipline, holiness, service, mission, and love (Phil. 4.9).

If we aren’t there, we should at least be asking ourselves, “Why?” To whom can I look as an example of what it means to follow Jesus? What’s keeping me from showing such an exemplary life to another? What is hindering us from taking our places in that long, unbroken chain of disciples who have shown others the way to follow Jesus, all the way down to our day?

These are questions worth reflecting on often. If we will take these questions seriously, perhaps we will begin to prepare and position ourselves for just such a way of life, a life of living exactly what we teach, and teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom without apology.

Psalm 26.1-3 (Aberystwyth: Jesus, Lover of My Soul)
Vindicate me, Lord on high; I have walked within Your Word.
Never wav’ring, though I sigh, I have trusted You, O Lord.
Prove me, Lord, prove even me! Test my heart and try my mind.
Let Your steadfast mercy be in the path for me to find.

Lord, give me someone to imitate, and let me be a model of discipleship for others, for Jesus’ sake!

Soul Friends
What Bede was observing was the fruit of soul friend relationships among Celtic Christians. People who cared for one another’s souls made a commitment to follow Jesus together, and they changed their world. We can do the same. Write to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we’ll send you a free brochure (download, print on two sides of a single sheet, fold into a trifold brochure), which you can use to find a soul friend of your own. Make two copies, one for yourself, and one for a friend.

The Disciplined Life
We’re happy to send you the seven studies in our ReVision series on The Disciplined Life. Learn the disciplines to exercise you for godliness in your spiritual life, relationships, work, and more. The studies are free, and set up for individual or group study, one lesson per day for seven weeks. Just send us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we’ll send the series along for you.

T. M. Moore
Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.