“Imitation is the highest form of flattery” (Oscar Wilde)
Have you heard this saying?
I have said this to my daughters often when they mention to me that one of their sisters or a friend is copying their attire or something else about them. They usually are not very happy with me, and remind me that they want to be unique and not have others copy them. My daughters have me pretty well pegged these days, because before they even tell me about someone imitating them they tell me “I already know what you are going to say.”
Imagine if Jesus had the same reaction with us for imitating Him. Imagine Jesus sitting on the right hand of His Father and saying, “You are not going to believe this, but ….is imitating me again.”
Rather, when God our Father or Jesus catch us imitating Jesus, they exclaim, “They are acting like we want them to act, speaking like we want them to speak, thinking what we want them to think.” This is what God has always wanted for us, to imitate Jesus.
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you and example, so that you might follow in His steps.” (I Peter 2:21).
What did Jesus do for us?
He suffered for us.
Suffering is hard. Suffering leaves us broken and hurting. Suffering causes confusion in our brains. Our hearts feel like they are so broken and heavy they are going to literally fall out of our chest. Our eyes are tired from the tears. They are red and irritated. We can’t eat. We have trouble sleeping. We are “weary and heavy laden.” (Mt. 11:28-30)
Christ suffered for us so we could follow in His steps. He suffered for us so we would know how to suffer. He suffered for us because He loved us so much.
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:4).
Did you ever stop to ponder that while Christ was on the cross bearing the burden of our sin, He was also carrying the weight of our griefs and our sorrows? Go back and look at Isaiah 53:4 again.
He loves us so much, He carried the weight of our sorrow with Him on the cross. Doing this while being rejected by man and having His Father turn His face away because of the sin that Jesus was bearing for us.
When we are on the floor face down crying out to God because of our pain, remember that Jesus experienced it first. He felt the weight of your sorrow and your grief. You are not going through the suffering alone, Christ is by your side reminding you, “I know how this feels, I know how heavy this is.”
Then He wants you to trust Him.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Do you trust Him to go in this field you are in and let Him carry the weight you are carrying? Do you trust Him enough to learn from Him? Do you trust Him enough to take on the yoke that He offers you?
We don’t understand the path that we’re on
The pain is heavy and the road is so long
We can’t see the end or the way to carry on
So we look to our Savior who will do us no wrong
The burden is heavy and cumbersome too
It hurts and is painful each step of the way
If only the pain could ease for a few
So we look to the Savior for a glimmer a ray
He told me He’d suffered and felt all this pain
There isn’t one thing that is foreign to Him
Nothing surprises or causes disdain
So we look to our Savior with eyes so dim
Will He really walk beside me and teach me the way
Never leaving me to go a moment without Him
This path is so hard and I just want to stray
To a way that makes this pain not so grim
Though that way my be easier this moment, dear one
The end will result in more grief and more pain
Take the pain to your Savior, don’t walk my dear one, but run
Let Him help you bear the weight of this burdensome pain
Then search His Word
The way to obey Him you must
For in obedience to truth
You will find Him to trust
Faith is key to the way through this pain
Do you trust your Savior who bore all this grief?
There will still be pain
But His share He will bear, and in this you will find great relief.
So imitate Him in how He bore His sorrow
He went to His Father asking for wisdom and strength
To bear all the pain of His sheep for tomorrow
Look only to the Savior with eyes full of faith
Rest in His promises
For here there is peace
For tomorrow His mercies will be ever new
So trust in Your Savior He died out of love for you
