“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” – Acts 4:13 (NIV)
Our parents are our first role models. Even when we mature with a family of our own, they are still the people we try to pattern ourselves after. We follow their ways, adopt their habits, and grow through what they have taught us. But also, what makes that relationship meaningful is not just imitation but our personal relationship with them and our willingness to remain humble enough to accept their correction.
In the same way, discipleship to the Lord is the yearning to become more like Him and to bring others to witness His glory. To be a disciple means to hunger to be like Christ – to pattern ourselves after Him; to have a heart and a posture like Him. It is not simply about doing things for God, but about becoming like Him, daily.
John, one of the twelve disciples, spent time with Jesus, learning from His teachings and observing his servant heart. When Jesus was crucified, John was the only disciple present at the cross. His closeness to Jesus was not accidental; it was the result of a life yielded, shaped, and committed. It was a life of devotion. He patterned his life after Jesus, as Jesus patterned His life after His Father.
Friends, youths, the heart of discipleship is the art of transformation through imitation. But that same imitation requires limitation. We have to learn to limit our pride, our self-reliance, and our desire for control, so that Christ can be fully formed in us.
Read: Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 Peter 2:21-23
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 80:1-7; Acts 23:12-35; 2 Kings 8:16-29; 2 Kings 9