兩歲的泰茗看到爸爸將魚線拋入湖裡，他就拿起自己的玩具釣竿，模仿爸爸釣魚的動作。後來，泰茗看到爸爸把魚扔回水裡，他也站在湖邊水淺的地方，試著模仿爸爸。他把釣竿浸在水中「釣」水草，「釣到」之後，就開心地舉起水草讓爸爸欣賞，然後把水草放回湖裡。

無論是學好或學壞，我們大多是透過觀察和模仿他人來學習。也許這就是為何有許多新約章節，鼓勵信徒要學習那些忠心服事上帝的人，以他們為榜樣（參閱帖撒羅尼迦後書3章9節；希伯來書13章7節；約翰三書1章11節）。

在帖撒羅尼迦後書第3章，使徒保羅列舉一些不該效仿的行為，例如游手好閒、製造紛爭和多管閒事（6、11節）。他還敦促眾信徒效法他和其他領袖正直的風範（7-10節），並且鼓勵他們「行善不可灰心」（13節，新譯本）。

但使徒保羅深知，只有當他活出倚靠基督的生命時，他這樣的榜樣才值得人們效法（哥林多前書11章1節）。唯有將生命扎根於基督的信實和能力，我們才會在祂的恩典和知識上不斷長進。

As his daddy cast his fishing line out into the lake, two-year-old Thomas mimicked his father’s actions with his own toy fishing pole. Later, as he stood on the shallow edge of the lake, Thomas also tried imitating his father’s example of throwing fish back into the water by dipping his pole in the water and “catching” weeds. After each “catch,” Thomas held the weeds up for his daddy to admire before releasing them back into the lake.

We tend to learn—both what’s good and wholesome and what’s definitely not—through observing and imitating others. Perhaps that’s why in the New Testament, followers of Jesus are often encouraged to look to faithful servants of the gospel as role models (see 2 Thessalonians 3:9; Hebrews 13:7; 3 John 1:11).

In 2 Thessalonians 3, Paul told his readers not to imitate idle, disruptive, and meddling lifestyles (vv. 6, 11) and told his readers to imitate instead the examples of integrity found in him and the other leaders (vv. 7-10). And he encouraged them to “never tire of doing what is good” (v. 13).

But Paul knew that ultimately his example was only worth imitating insofar as it pointed to reliance on Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Only by rooting our lives in Christ’s faith and power can we grow in grace and wisdom.