Every child learns the annoying game–“Repeat” or “Copy Cat” at some point. They will repeat everything you say right after you say it. Parents eventually have to break into the game and make the child stop repeating everything. Adults sometimes describe this action as “mimicking” another person. It simply means “to imitate, copy, or impersonate.”
We get the word “mimic” from a greek term used in the Bible. John uses the term in 3 John 11, when he says, “Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good.” John says literally don’t mimic evil, but mimic good. When it comes to you playing the “Repeat” or “Copy Cat” game in life, you need to only repeat or copy good, not evil!
What does this mean for our own life? Here are some thoughts . . .
- The scary part of parenting is that kids are going to play the “Repeat” game in life. They follow and imitate their parent’s example and choices more than anyone else. If you are a parent, are you giving an example of good or evil for your kids to mimic?
- We are created in a way that makes us naturally desire to imitate and follow others. We mimic those around us, those we esteem, and the celebrities of our culture. Thus, we must be very intentional and cognizant of who we put up in our own lives as worthy of imitation. We need to seek to find strong Christian examples to mimic!
- The world puts up all kinds of evil examples for us to mimic. The world will shape us through music, TV, movies, books, sports heroes, and celebrities. It is very tempting for us to mimic these examples. They have glamour, money, the cool factor, and are plentiful. But if we are honest, we must admit that while they often contain elements of good, much of their lifestyle and message is evil. We must refuse to mimic the world’s idols.
- The only person truly worthy of our mimicking is Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul got it right, when he told the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). As a Christian, our imitation should always be of our Savior! We are to mimic his light in this world of darkness.
