Legacy Leadership: Wisdom Of The Apostle PaulSample

Worthy of Imitation – Part 2

Paul understood that we are looking for, and in fact need, people who model the way for us. He was acutely aware of the importance of a leader providing a model for people to follow and he encouraged people to imitate him.

Reading those exhortations today, we may think that Paul was pretty arrogant to offer himself as an example to follow. But if we read those passages closely, it is clear that he was offering Christ as the ultimate example, not himself. He told the Corinthians to imitate him because he himself was imitating Christ. He commended the Thessalonians for having become “imitators of us and the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

In the second letter to the Thessalonians he provides a specific command to imitate the work ethic he exemplified while living among them:

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. (2 Thessalonians 3:7–10 [ESV]; emphasis added)

Obviously, imitation was an important theme for Paul. He offered himself as a model of leadership for others to not just follow, but to imitate. He encouraged the Philippians to “join in following my example [imitating me (ESV)], and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (Philippians 3:17). This theme is repeated in Philippians 4:9: “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Being worthy of imitation is a core dimension of Paul’s philosophy of leadership. He offered himself as a leadership model worthy of imitation, and he expected other leaders to meet the same standard. He instructed his protégé Timothy to “follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13).

Not only was Timothy to follow Paul’s example, he was also to be an example for those who followed him. Paul encouraged him to “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:12; emphasis added).

Similarly, he commanded Titus that “in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us” (Titus 2:7–8; emphasis added).

Reflect and Act on these questions:
• Who is watching you as a leader?
• What traits do you hope they imitate?
• Are there any characteristics of your leadership that you hope others will not imitate?