Imitating Christ

Proverbs 23:26
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.

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This proverb may not necessarily be addressing a literal son-father relationship, but the principle remains. A son/daughter should give their heart to their father/mother, meaning they should be open and willing to receive instruction from the godly parent who loves and cares for them.

On the other end, a parent should desire the hearts of their children, and they must be willing to live a life where they can say with integrity, “Observe my ways.” That word “observe” has the connotation of observing and delighting in what is seen. This is a huge responsibility for parents!

My son is at an age where he is learning how to behave by mimicking the things he observes. He spends most of his time with us, his parents, and so most of the things he mimics comes directly from what he observes us doing. He should observe my actions and be glad in what he sees, not be conflicted or troubled.

As a father, Proverbs tells me that one of my central focuses and joys in my life should be the very heart of my own children, their spiritual core, and guiding them in the way I know to be holy and righteous. This knowledge can only come from God (Proverbs 1:7 - “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”), and I need to be meeting with the Lord daily and submitting to him, imitating him and his own heart. I can’t imitate what I don’t observe.

This puts a different spin on why daily devotions is so important. It goes far beyond doing it because it’s the New Hope thing to do, or because it’s a classical discipline, or because it’s just the good Christian thing to do; my goal in life is to mimic, emulate, and imitate Jesus Christ. If my son didn’t see me every day, he wouldn’t have a model to imitate. Likewise, if I do not make it a daily necessity to observe the Lord and imitate his heart, I cannot pass that on to my children.

I do not want to get to the end of my life and regret that I failed them in the most important task I was entrusted with as a parent. I desire my children to be like the Lord. And it will first come in them imitating me. I need to set this as priority #1.

It also goes beyond parenting. Everyone who sees me observes me, whether I’m in a coffee shop, in the pulpit, at the beach, at a restaurant, wherever. Anywhere I am, people should not have a cause to say that Jesus is misrepresented, because I should be imitating him as a lifestyle; not as a religious practice.