Look backwards at all the friends you have had in your life. Do you see a trend? To a large degree you are a lot like your friends. You are like them in the way they dress, the way they talk, the things they do, their mannerisms, the things they like and dislike, and the list goes on and on. You are a lot like the people you hang around.
You are a lot like the people that you hang around, or like the people who hang around you. An anonymous person said it this way, “The most valuable gift you can give another is a good example.” There is a ton of truth in that statement. You are a role model to someone. Someone is following your example. You may not know whom they are, but you are a role model to someone.
As Jesus was nearing the end of His life, one big concern He had for His disciples was for them to become little Christs. Jesus wanted those apostles to carry on the ministry He displayed before their very eyes to a lost and needy world. The night before He was crucified, He humbled Himself before the disciples and washed their feet. This magnificent display of humility caused the disciples to show their lack of humility by not wanting Jesus to wash their feet. Jesus washed their feet and then gives them, and us today, this command, “For I gave you an example that you should also do as I did to you” (John 13:15). Jesus tells the disciples to be an example to the world of all that He showed them throughout His three-year ministry with them.
You are a leader whether you like it or not. Someone is paying close attention to your response to life’s situations. Be the kind of example that Jesus commands you to be; one that mimics the life of Jesus Christ. Know that others are watching you and copying your example. Thus, it can be said of you that others will follow the slang—monkey see, monkey do!
