Follow His Footsteps

There are a few people in my life who I really admire. My parents, a few of my aunts, and a friend. I want to be like them. Shining bright is like being a role model for others. You should want to be an example to others, especially those younger than you. But who is our role model as girls who want to shine bright? The answer is Jesus. Jesus is our role model, and we should want to be just like Him.

"God called you to do good," it says in 1 Peter 2:21, even if we have to suffer for it. In the next part of the verse, is tells us that Jesus is our example, and we "must follow in his steps."

"For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly."

1 Peter 2:21-23 (NLT)

The first way to follow in Jesus' steps is to not sin and to do good. This is impossible on our own. Since Jesus died for us (we'll be digging deeper into that in a later post) our sins are forgiven. That is amazing grace! If you ask God to help you, He will help you do good. The second thing about Jesus Peter tells us about, is that He never deceived anyone, so we shouldn't either. Peter isn't talking about the harmless April Fool's joke, he's talking deeper, as in deceiving others into doing the wrong thing, even bringing them away from Christ. If we want to be an example to those around us, we cannot be rude or mean to others. That can make Jesus look like your bad behavior. If someone knows you're a Christian, but you trip someone or yell at someone, that can make them think all Christians are rude or mean. Being a Christian means we represent Christ, so we must act like it. The next verse of 1 Peter 2 says that Jesus did not retaliate when He was insulted and that He did not try to get revenge when He suffered. This is hard. The first thing I want to do if someone hurts me, is hurt them back, which is getting revenge on someone. But no, Jesus says to turn the other cheek. This means if someone hurts you, you shouldn't hurt them back, but should let them hurt you again, if anything. I challenge you to not retaliate against someone if they hurt you, but to say something kind, or nothing at all. They will see the difference. By following Jesus' example, you will be shining bright for Him.

Our ultimate role model is Jesus and we should aim to be an example to those around us, just as He is to us. God called you to do good. Spread God's goodness, just as Jesus did. Follow in His footsteps.