In yesterday’s blog we watched one-year-old Emerald successfully learn to polish window glass by imitating her Aunt Louisa. There’s a certain amount of pressure in knowing young children are watching us carefully, wanting to do what we do. It serves us well, though, since the result is a desire to live “cleaner” in front of them.

I think of my granddaughter Skylar who was all into imitating her mommy the last time I visited her in Florida. Although she knew she couldn’t do everything her mother did with the same expertise, she could set the table for dinner, which was what she did.

Yesterday we wondered if we could imitate Jesus (our example) in the same simple way. Is such a thing possible? Or is it so far out of reach we shouldn’t even to try?

When I asked God for his answer, he reminded me of Jesus’ humanity. “Human…. just like you,” he said, “so yes, try to imitate him.”

The only thing to do was “watch” the life of Jesus to see what I could  imitate. Maybe it would be as simple as wiping a window or setting a table.

Here’s what I found:

• He spent time studying Scripture, memorizing much it.
• He separated himself from the pack of people continually following him, to carve out prayer time.
• He lived simply, denying himself the creature comforts of his day.
• He followed through on commitments.
• He didn’t try to control people but asked questions, listening attentively for the answers.
• He was willing to take risks with the establishment if it meant he could testify for God’s kingdom.
• He humbled himself before others.
• He never chafed under the burden of being an example to watching eyes.
• He was quick to forgive.
• He kept himself from complaining, even when he had reason to do so.
• He endured hardship with patience.
• He tolerated hunger.
• He obediently stepped into God’s assignments for him, even tough ones.
• He proactively resisted all kinds of temptation.
• He accepted God’s call on his life.

Those are 15 straightforward ways any of us can imitate Jesus’ example. And if it would be easier to operate by one underlying principle that applies in every situation, he gives us that, too. He made decisions and successfully moved through his complicated life by using one Golden Standard to apply in every questionable situation:

Would he find favor with God?

Emerald and Skylar wanted to find favor with an aunt and a mommy, imitating them as their way to get it. The human Jesus wanted the same from his heavenly Father. And as the rest of us seek God’s favor by imitating Jesus, we too will find it.

“The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:6)