It Starts Small

This was a phrase I first learned in kindergarten. There were kids putting paste in their ears. The teacher walked up and asked one of them why. They said because so-and-so was doing it. She said monkey see, monkey do. It took me years to understand what she was saying.

¹⁵ Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. ¹⁶ In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. ¹⁷ Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸ For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. Philippians 3:15-19

At first glance, Paul’s words, “let all of us who are mature think this way,” seem elitist. If you study Philippians, they are actually Paul’s confidence in God’s revelation than his own mindset. Paul is convinced of the preeminence of Christ in all things, the surpassing value of knowing him, and of God’s determination to make his Son known. Paul rests assured that if some of the Philippians do not see Christ’s worth letting go, they eventually will. This is why he follows with, “And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.”

We are not Paul, but to some extent we all can understand his sense that other will arrive at the same conclusion. Our spiritual journies are all different. Some people move at a rapid rate and others a slow pace. There is no perfect journey, and eventually God will reveal to a person that winner-winner-chicken-dinner, bell ringing moment that Christ is all and worth giving all up for. There will be a moment in each journey when each of us is given the sight to see and love Christ so much that he returns our love with faithfulness and keeps us.

Our expressions and experiences with Christ are all unique to each of us and they look different, but we can be convinced that he will show himself to anyone focused on the pursuit to know him. Jesus does not play favorites. He does not focus his attention on whom are favorite to him. We are all equally favored by him.

Paul continues in verse 16, In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. The verb Paul uses here is the same verb he uses in Galatians 5:25. The different english translations offer insight into the meaning of “live up to.”

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 CSB

²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 KJV

²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 NIV

When we look back to Philippians 3:16, Paul is talking about keeping in step or walking with Jesus. In verse 17, a very interesting term comes up. (excuse my word geekness is about to come alive)

¹⁷ Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.  Galatians 3:17

T”he english translation of “join in imitating me” comes from the greek words summimetai mou. The prefix sum carried the idea of being joined together. Do you see what follows? The word “mime” follows “sum”. Mou, means “me”. I searched through the Hebrew concordance to try and find this phrase used anywhere else in the Bible and it is not used. Outside of Paul’s letter to the Philippians is is not used in this way at all. When I did a search for it, I discovered, this Greek usage was actually a term Paul had made up! This is not uncommon to any language. How many slang english words are added to the dictionary every year?

SO Paul is using some slang Greek here to say, “Brothers and sisters, I urge you to lock arms and walk the same way together.” What is Paul telling us?

11 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

Paul uses summimetai in Philippians, but else were he uses the verb translated “imitate.”

⁶ and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 1:6

¹⁵ For you may have countless instructors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ¹⁶ Therefore I urge you to imitate me. ¹⁷ This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church. 1 Corinthians 4:15-17

This imitating, or miming, is an important point not to overlook! This point is a powerful point because as humans, we are mimic creatures. We imitate what we admire, so the challenge is to admire the right type of people. for the right reasons, to produce what is exemplary in our attitudes and behaviors. (Give yourself time to ponder that a moment…It took me a week to ponder that thought)

Paul is saying:

Watch me and do what I do
Watch those who watch him and do what he does and do what they do

Why? Because Paul imitates Christ. So imitate Paul who imitates Christ. Imitate others who are imitating Paul who is imitating Christ.

People have a natural tendency to read the lives of people more than words. No matter how much we want to reverse that, we do not follow what people say, we follow their actions. Action speaks louder than words. So Paul says, watch their action, what my action. We act what is in our hearts more than what we speak. You know that saying, do as I say, not as I do. What a contradiction to the Word of God.

Paul is calling the Philippians to be very careful and pay special attention to those who are genuinely living Christ-pursuing lives. If we want to find those sorts of people, we need to get off social media and look for the quiet ones in our community around us. Keep our ears open to the people serving outside the limelight with nothing more than the ambition to love as Jesus loves. There is no better cure for cynicism than seeing the faithfulness to Jesus in people who are not trying to show it to you. Paul clearly defines those type of people.

¹⁸ For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. Philippians 3:18-19

Their end is destruction
Their god is their stomach
Their glory is their shame
They are focused on earthly things

We could spend the next several hours examining these but let us focus on what Paul is saying. I love how he says, “For I have often told you, and now say again with tears,”. Paul’s heart is saddened to have to reveal that there are those who are enemies. There are those who are enemies of the cross and seek only their own selfish desires but stamp Christ on it. Perhaps you know the sort. They are enemies to the cross and all that requires is a hostility towards humility. An enemy to the cross is someone who puts their own self interest above the interests of others. An enemy is someone who has no humility and the mindset that they could never love their enemy.

We come to this point of asking ourselves who do you admire most in your life? Does their walk match their talk? Are they the sort of person who encourages you to become wiser, walk closer in step with the Spirit, to love and speak as Christ? Or is the person you admire most an enemy of the cross?

I gave a heavy sigh in prayer when I asked Christ to show me in the mirror who I am in these verses. I think back to what Paul wrote, “we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.” When we received Christ as our savior we were spiritually reborn. Infants in the spirit. We can not stay there! God knows what we know. He also knows what we do not know. We must obey what we do know, but seek to know more. To grow from the infancy of our spirituality to maturity.

I have done so many dumb sinful things, and said so many dumb sinful things. I was once that, do as I say, do not do as I do person. I have had to find forgiveness and a little grace for myself. If you find yourself in those shoes, know God loves all of you, even when you got it wrong. Today is a new day. Focus on those who do as Christ does. If you are like me, and do not have those people as example, pray for God to bring someone in your life to mentor you and be the mime of Christ.