Many of us have “that Christian” in our lives. They’ve been saved for decades, perhaps even as long as we have, and their knowledge and passion for God is at a level we could never obtain. We feel a sense of admiration for them, but also a tinge of jealousy because we want to be at that level. Whether it’s a pastor, a fellow churchgoer, or just someone in our lives, I think it’s time we all stop trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Innocent comparisons?
The term “keeping up with the Joneses” explains that desire we all have to look at someone’s wealth or belongings and want to be like them. We want to have the car, play the sports, get the attractive spouse, and whatever else we see in a person’s life that we envy. Yet as Christians, we know our attention is meant to be drawn to more important things.
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)
And so we find ourselves in a strange situation. We don’t look on with envy at a person’s looks or talents, feeling like we’d finally be content if we had what they had. Instead, we want their relationship with God.
We want their love of studying, their faith, or their prayer life. We wish we could quote Bible verses for any situation or have a depth of wisdom that seems to defy our age. That person seems to be so close to God, and perhaps they haven’t been saved that much longer than we have! Is it so wrong to look up to someone, perhaps even using them as a framework for our own walk with Christ?
Healthy reflections
Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
In a way, appreciating someone’s spiritual maturity is a blessing to us. With the right heart, we can see the goodness of God in how He’s worked in someone’s life. We get the benefits of their wisdom, the encouragement of their testimony, and we can be stirred up in our own lives.
Just like Paul, mature believers are worth imitating because they reflect Christ. Their hearts and minds have been molded from years of pursuing their savior. What we see is the result of a life that has had faith mixed with doubt, sin met with repentance, and pride overshadowed by Christ. They are who we want to be because they are like Christ.
We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints (Colossians 1:3-4)
Seeing how others walk with Christ is a demonstration of just how mightily Christ can work in someone’s life. Notice that in Paul’s opening to the Colossians believers, he’s not commending them for their faith, but thanking God for the faith He’s given them and the resulting love they show others. Like Paul, we too can be encouraged in our faith by seeing how Christ uses faith in the lives of others.
God can use others to grow our faith in a number of ways:
- Seeing how someone turns to prayer immediately, rather than as a last resort
- Finding purpose in reading and studying the Bible by seeing how others use it in their lives
- Realizing there are ways to live that are against the typical worldview – not striving for nice things to be happy, turning down certain forms of entertainment, viewing our children as a mission field, etc.
- Being a disciple of a more mature believer and learning things like wisdom, teaching, etc.
- Embracing the reality that even the most mature Christians are still like everyone else, broken and in daily need of Christ-like everyone else
Other believers can be instrumental in our spiritual growth and continuing maturity in Christ. Though we don’t view them like untouchable rock stars, their faith can serve as a wonderful example of what the Christian life looks like. They serve as an example of where we may not be yet, but where the power of Christ can bring anyone.
In the next part, we’ll discuss what happens when those same Christian examples lead us to jealousy, bitterness, or despair.
