While imitation is a necessary part of our natural and spiritual development, not every imitation is healthy or beneficial. Parrot-like imitation has no substance and does not produce spiritual growth!
I shared in the last devotional that imitation should happen for a finite time otherwise it inhibits us from developing our own relationship with the Lord.
Furthermore, imitation should happen in the right context. The truth is that just quoting a spiritual leader doesn’t make one more spiritual. There are some who try to copy hairdo, wardrobe, or hobbies to make them look like their respected spiritual leader. Those external factors are not the things that grow one’s spirit. As a matter of fact, they become a distraction from true spiritual growth. While a person may successfully sound or act like an admired spiritual leader, it does not produce the Godly spiritual maturity that the Lord desires in a believer’s life.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5: 19-21 (KJV)
According to Webster’s Dictionary, the meaning of “emulation” is:: ambition or endeavor to equal or excel others
Paul states that emulation is work of the flesh and in some translations that word is translated as jealousy. While imitation in the right context is encouraged in the Bible, this scripture talks about the sin of mimicking others. If one copies others in order to compete with them or to make themselves feel more valuable, it is considered the work of the flesh. The Bible states that those who practice the above long list of sins, including emulation, will not inherit the kingdom of God. That sounds very serious!
When one imitate others in a carnal manner, it signals their insecurity about who they are and their need to look and/or act like someone else.
Embracing God’s design , being patient with our spiritual development, and learning from others in a healthy way is the right balance to imitation. This approach keeps one from being phony, and it makes a believer authentic and unique, which draws others to Christ.
It is important to consider who we are imitating and why we are imitating them. Has the emulation brought about good spiritual fruit? Or does it just produce a fleshly satisfaction?