All Christians  must  strive to be a  godly  example to others.  We must  seek out and  cultivate relationships with Christians who are godly  examples.  Of course, we  realize that no matter how  good  an example others  are to us we cannot go  to Heaven because  we  have  followed anyone,even the godly ones who  influence us.

But we must  seek out these  influences in our lives.  I  am  sure  that all of us can name someone, probably  many who helped them in their desire to  “grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus” (2 Peter 3:18).

In  2 Timothy 3:10-13 Paul  tells  Timothy that  he  must  follow godly  examples. Paul gives  himself as an  example to Timothy. Of  course Paul would not  want anyone to follow them for  who they are outside of their dedication and  allegiance  to Jesus. He  writes“follow me, as I follow Christ.”

Timothy  observed the  following  virtues in the  life of Paul: faith, patience, love and  endurance.These  are  the  traits  that  we  must look for in fellow  believers, especially those  whom we would like to mentor us in the  faith.  These are  traits that  we  must have. Unless we  become a godly  influence to others as a result of someone doing that for us, we have not  learned from their influence.

Paul   told Timothy  to be  an example in “conduct, in love, in  spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12)  All  of us need  to find someone that we  can imitate in Christ but  we must  be willing and able to seek out those  that we  can  influence also.  If  we do, we will  be “An Approved Servant of the Lord.

Larry Miles attends Cherry St. Church of Christ in New Albany, IN.

                                                                             He is a Co-Editor of Wordandwork.org