ORIGINATION, NOT IMITATION

2 Kings 15:1-16:20; Acts 19:13-41; Psalm 147:1-20; Proverbs 18:4-5

“Jotham did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done. But he did not destroy the pagan shrines….”

“A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!’ ….But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, ‘I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.”

“No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

“A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook.”

In one way or another, most of us develop at least some traits through imitating others. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Much can be learned from watching our brothers and sisters in the faith. We can even learn what not to do by observing what does not work for others. Role models can be powerful influences for good. But they can also mislead and distract us from the plan God has for our particular life. We were not made just to be a reflection of someone else; we were created to be unique vessels of the Holy Spirit, sharing His grace and Gospel with others in a way only we can. It’s no good sharing a reflected faith, or telling others how the Lord changed another’s life. Those stories may have a certain anecdotal value to be sure, but the most compelling testimony for Christ always comes from the voice of personal experience. In a word, the Lord calls each of us to our own personal ministry of origination, not imitation.

Growing up, I had several role models, but none so powerful as the example of my older brother. To this day, I have not met anyone with any stronger work ethic, or anyone who modeled any better what it means to be dedicated to a goal. Dave was, and is, a success in many areas of life, which is all the more remarkable since his successes are not typically born out of raw talent. Dave prevails because of his single-minded commitment to what he sees as his responsibilities and his dreams, and most of the time, his victories come primarily because he is simply willing to work harder than anyone else. In particular, growing up, Dave was heavily influenced by Dad’s desire that we excel in sports. I had more natural talent than he did, but his practice and work habits blew mine away. As a baseball pitcher, he worked on his curve until his fingers bled. I’d take the mound, throw a few pitches outside the strike zone and just go play first base. He lifted weights until he could bench more than his weight. I stopped as soon as it became uncomfortable. Looking back, it’s pretty clear I wasted certain talents that now have atrophied beyond resuscitation. (In other words, the older I get, the better I was.) But on the other hand, Dave’s life was not for me, regardless. I gave up pre-med my freshman year in college, and never aspired to be a collegiate athlete. Drama and writing became my “things.” God also lead me down other, very individually tailored pathways for which I had no real example other than the Spirit’s inspiration. I can say the results and blessings of following Christ have been totally unpredictable. They also have been far better for me personally than my most optimistic dreams or anything I have learned from others. Though tested, certainly, I have never felt completely lost. Dave, on the other hand, ran into trouble when he ran out of human examples after which to model himself. He is our family’s only doctor. His family life and career path have no parallels with anyone else we know. When life tests his creativity and originality, Dave would be the first to admit that he tends to founder a bit.

Jotham would appreciate Dave’s situation. Like father, like son. Beyond rebuilding one Temple gate, that is about all Scripture says of him. When tested and challenged to go against the tide of public opinion and the example of his Dad, Jotham just ended up making the same mistakes as his earthly father.

The Jews imitating Paul quickly learned a derivative faith has little power to overcome evil, too. They tried to preach what they did not know and soon regretted it. Having no faith of their own on which to rely, they ended up embarrassed, humiliated and defeated by a power greater than their weak imitations.

It’s true we are called to be imitators of Christ. More than that, though, if our lives are to have the power and influence the Creator planned them to have, we also need to be original interpreters of Christ, showing the world how He uniquely ministers to us and sustains us individually. Jesus’ grace is not a one-size-fits-all panacea. It is a singularly personal plan to maximize our gifts and talents to further His Kingdom. Consequently, if we are to realize all the blessings the Spirit has for us, we must ultimately forsake lives of imitation for lives of origination. We each are our own chapters in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s time we acted like it. Imitation is not a bad start; it may, in fact, be the only way some folks can see their way into the Kingdom. But if we spend our entire lives as spectators and mimics, we will never experience the specific, individual blessings God has in store for us, or for others through us.