Creator, Father, King #344

Do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

• “Stop doing everything I do!”
• “Why are you always imitating me?”
• “Mom, tell him to stop being a copycat!”

When you were younger, did you ever say any of those things? Or did someone else say any of those things to you?

Of course. Every child experiences the copycat stage. On the annoying scale, copycatting generally falls somewhere between noogies and wet willies.

But doesn’t the old axiom tell us that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Well, yes. But imitation has its limits. Take, for instance, our Christian lives. Imitation must be limited to what pleases God.

This is the main point of 3 John, the letter that the apostle John wrote to a friend named Gaius, who was part of a church (perhaps in ancient Asia Minor) that included a wicked man named Diotrephes. In 3 John 1:9-10, John warned Gaius that Diotrephes

• loved to be the leader;
• refused to have anything to do with them;
• made evil accusations against them; and
• refused to welcome the traveling teachers, told others not to help them, and when others did help, he put them out of the church.

John’s message was clear: Diotrephes was bad news. Don’t copycat Diotrephes!

What’s It Mean?

John’s third epistle was a specific letter to a specific church about a specific situation. But the message of today’s verse found within his letter applies broadly to all Christians.

There are plenty of people like Diotrephes these days, both inside and outside the church. We are not to imitate them. Rather, we are to imitate what is good—in other words, exhibit godly characteristics.

This seems so simple, yet oftentimes it isn’t. Bad influences can be beguiling. Diotrephes certainly didn’t achieve his position of church authority by acting like a blatant jerk. More likely, he weaseled his way to power through cunning, manipulation, and self-serving friendships. And it seems like he tricked some people along the way.

This calls for wisdom on our part. Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:20: “Just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” Once you identify these individuals, steer clear. Imitation of those folks isn’t flattery; it will only leave you spiritually flat!

Now What?

Prayerfully evaluate your friendships and the influences in your life. Also, ask a parent or trusted adult if you’re imitating the wrong people.

Did You Know?

Many biblical scholars believe that John wrote all of his New Testament books between approximately AD 85–95.