All of us should leave footsteps for others to follow to walk the Christian life as we do. But this begins by us ourselves walking in the footsteps of other godly people who are walking with the Lord. This is how Paul speaks of the matter in Philippians 3:17. Not only were Christians to “join in following my example,” said Paul, but we are also to “observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” 

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

“Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.”

“Monkey see, monkey do.”

We all recognize that people imitate people, whatever the reason for imitation may be. It’s easy to see and do what others do.

It’s also a biblical command for one person to imitate another, especially if it is us imitating the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to imitate Christ in many ways: love (John 13:34; Eph 5:2), obedience (1 John 2:6), service (John 13:14–15), suffering (Matt 16:24; 1 Pet 2:21), endurance (Heb 12:2–3). I’m sure we could find more passage like these if we looked for them.

And then the Bible goes one step beyond that to tell us to imitate those who imitate Jesus Christ. Pau lived his life as an example before others, and as they imitated him, he said they were also imitating Christ (1 Thess 1:6; cf. 2 Thess 3:7, 9). In fact, he commanded Christians along these lines: “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1; cf. 4:15–16).

This exemplary Christlikeness should be true of pastors (Heb 13:7; 1 Pet 5:3), and Paul called upon ministerial men to be examples in this way (1 Tim 4:12; Titus 2:7–8).

Added to these men, this exemplary character should be true of any Christian. All of us should leave footsteps for others to follow to walk the Christian life as we do. But this begins by us ourselves walking in the footsteps of other godly people who are walking with the Lord.

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