Following Christ in a world of imitators
By Brian Hobbs
Editor, The Baptist Messenger
Do you recall the 2021 social media trend, “the milk crate challenge”? For those not familiar, the summer of 2021 saw people stack milk crates in an obstacle course style and video themselves walking on their precarious setup.
The internet abounded with videos showing people falling and nearly breaking their necks just to get views. This phenomenon apparently originated on TikTok, the social media entertainment app that boasts more than 1 billion users.
TikTok reportedly stopped carrying the videos but has been associated with other controversies, including reports of cybersecurity issues and local school safety concerns.
I will refer you to others to discuss all the problems connected to this social media app and instead focus on one particular aspect that relates to multiple social media — namely, the trend toward imitation.
Why do people mimic whatever they see online, even when it’s a dangerous or a corrupt practice?
We know that people — especially young people — are impressionable.
‘Monkey-see, monkey-do’
But all of us are prone toward the “monkey-see, monkey-do” phenomenon. One theologian said, “We become what we behold.”
Amid this backdrop, Christians must do a better job putting Christlike, redeeming content out there online. We must also guard our own hearts for fear we will be led away in this culture of mimicry.
One dictionary defines “mimic,” the verb, as “(to) imitate someone or their actions or words, especially in order to entertain or ridicule.” Too often, we Christians have found ourselves joining the cultural mimicking in unhelpful or even bad ways.
Meanwhile, the Bible says, “Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints; nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know of a surety, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them” (Eph. 5:1–7).
The next time a trend like the crate challenge comes, don’t just curse the darkness. Use that as your cue to point that person toward something more meaningful. Use it to tell them about Jesus, who we can imitate to our own good.
Let’s turn the culture “monkey-see, monkey-do” effect into something redemptive. Tell them about Christ the Rock that all people can stand on, the Rock that will not fall or fail.
‘We hear our Father’s voice’
We are not afraid, for we hear our Father’s voice. And what favored child ever trembled at his Father’s speech?
We love to hear that voice; although it’s deep and booming, yet we love its matchless melody, for it comes from the depths of love and affection.
“He drives His chariot through the sky,
Beneath His feet His thunders roar;
He shakes the earth, He veils the sky,
My soul, my soul, this God I adore —
He is my Father, and my love.”
Fall down before His feet and worship Him, for He loves you by His grace. The clouds are the dust of GOD’s feet! (Nahum 1:3).
Annette Brown
TAB Media guest services coordinator via Facebook
Plodders also finish the race
Even though I’ve run since I was 20, I feel uneasy calling myself a runner. This is because I know a lot of bona fide runners, and, compared to them, I’m no runner.
I log quite a few miles on foot every week. But I’m more of a plodder.
The way I see it, runners are at the front of the pack speeding to the finish. Plodders lag towards the back of the pack trudging to the finish.
Runners run in hopes of qualifying for a spot in the Boston Marathon. Plodders run in hopes they can still fit in their pants after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
The Apostle Paul often compared life to running a race. He said in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Run in such a way as to get the prize.” At the end of his life, he said, “I have finished the race” (2 Tim. 4:7).
There’s a lot of us in this race called life who aren’t the smartest, coolest, prettiest, strongest or richest. We’re not in the front of the pack leading everybody else. And we’re not going to win medals or impress a bunch of people with the results we post in the race of life.
But that doesn’t matter. We didn’t quit. We hung in there, faithfully trudging along in the middle of the pack. And that’s worth something.
In fact, that’s worth everything. It’s worth everything to hear Jesus say one day, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:23).
So if you’re not a runner, just plod. And if you’re not first, just finish. Be faithful. That’s good enough for God.
Daniel Wilson
Director of the evangelism office for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions
“We want to provide answers to questions, hope in the midst of anxiety and direction toward Jesus in the chaos of our world,” said Randall Payleitner, associate publisher at Moody Publishers, announcing the launch of Moody’s new online ministry, Bibletolife.com.
I learned how to build a crowd and also how to hold that crowd’s attention. At the same time, I got to practice sharing my faith. … I never want to slip into believing that the thousands who’ve trusted Christ at my shows are somehow because I’m an amazing speaker. It’s not up to me.
Matt Adams
Christian illusionist
“The fact that God has allowed the nations to come to our country — we don’t have an excuse not to do missions without ever getting in an airplane,” said Alan Morris, area missionary for North Central Missions Center in Woodstock, Georgia.
“People are turning to God and the Bible for answers to their questions,” said YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald on seeing high levels of Bible engagement in 2021.
God made you with design, with detail and with days. … May we celebrate life.
Douglas K. Wilson
Dean of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
Students are a lot harder to connect with, and they’re not as interested in connecting with campus ministries. We have to go to them. … In many ways for us it’s kind of a restart.
Stephen Thompson
Senior campus minister, Auburn University BCM
As a ministry wife for many years, would you let me offer you some advice? More than a dinner out, more than verbal praise, more than any other gift you could give your pastor … he will treasure your prayers for his family.
Would you be willing to pray for your pastor’s family? Since we live in two realities — the seen and the unseen (Col. 1:16) — would you be willing to take up your position on the invisible but real battlefield where your pastor’s family lives as their earthly husband and father serves our King?
Jani Ortlund
crossway.org/articles/how-to-pray-for-your-pastors-family
We want to have a ministry that cares, really cares, a group of people who have the vision and the love of Jesus in their heart.
Derry Johnson, Board chair
Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries
“It was a hallelujah moment when we discovered that everybody was accounted for and safe. … We can replace technology and equipment and buildings. But you just can’t replace a life,” said Charles Fowler, president of Carson-Newman University, regarding a Nov. 26 campus fire.
As we move forward in worship … how can we have more ‘us’; how can we have more ‘our’? How can we pull us together so that our worship is the Body of Christ gathered together so we see the community of our worship?
Pastor David Eldridge
Dawson Memorial Baptist in Birmingham at the LIFT worship conference
From the Twitterverse
@brocraigc
“Brought safely by his hand thus far, why wilt thou now give place to fear?” —John Newton
@sPeytonHill
I’m overwhelmed by God’s grace displayed in the generous giving of the church I get to serve. The gospel will not be bound & we’re just grateful to come along the journey. It’s exciting to see the passion of our church reflect God’s passion for the nations to know Him.
@micahfries
The more we love the more we risk getting hurt, emotionally. The potential for love & the risk of hurt are correlated. Some attempt to mitigate the risk of pain by not loving deeply. This is understandable, but sad. Everyone will get hurt at some point but love is worth the risk.
@DianeLangberg
We will have to restrain the loudness of our voices, the suddenness of our movements and the intensity of our emotions if we are to provide a safe place for the scared, the suffering, the traumatized and the silenced.
@philipnation
I’ve been slowly reading Psalm 119 in the mornings. It makes my soul rejoice to experience the goodness of God through His word.
@mhenslee
Pastor, your attendance today was not indicative of, really, much of anything. If you were faithful to preach to 10 instead of 50, 50 instead of 100, 100 instead of 200, etc., and were faithful to #preachtheWord, thank you. That matters, and God is using it more than you know.
@PriscillaShirer
Some of the best advice I ever received was in my early 20s from a woman in her 60s. She said: “A woman who lives well is a woman who is brave enough to change her course when/if she realizes she is going in a direction that she doesn’t want to go or doesn’t need to go.”
@TaylorLassiter
I heard it dozens of times, and it was true — seeing members leave the church you love and serve has been one of the hardest things about pastoral ministry.
@jakegwright
There is no distinction between “teaching” elders and “ruling” elders in the New Testament.
All elders teach
All elders rule
All elders oversee
All elders shepherd
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