Two ways lead out of my home estate. During the rainy season, a nearby canal flows over into the main road, rendering it passable by only vehicles, unless you’re feeling up for an adventurous wade in the muddy swamp water. On days when you don’t feel like going ankle-deep in the parasite-infested water, you have to take the next best alternative – the second route which my sister and I fondly nicknamed the valley of the shadow of death. Cute, right? The name was apt because during the rainy season the grass there grew as tall as our heads and you never knew what would pop out. Another thing was the ground was marshy and could sometimes capture your foot like quicksand if you weren’t careful.
After a particularly rainy episode, I was sent out on an errand. I prepared my mind and my thickest rubber-soled shoes and walked to the gate. I had to make the executive decision to sink or swim (literally). I stood contemplating my options for about five minutes when a workman exited the estate gate and without hesitation began to traverse the valley of the shadow of death. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from calling out to warn him about the sinking sand when I noticed that he was deftly weaving through the tall grasses. He didn’t even pause once to look at the ground and measure his steps.
I hurriedly decided that if this man did not sink, then I wouldn’t either and followed quickly him. I watched him carefully to match his steps but at a point, he moved too quickly for me to catch up and I lost him in the grass. I stood at the step he left me last, unsure of where to place my foot when I noticed that there were fresh footprints on the ground. I matched the position of my foot exactly to the prints and weaved through the grass with the adeptness of a garden snake. I was so focused on following the footprints on the ground that it became almost like a game for me – matching my foot correctly to the print. I didn’t even notice when I burst through the grass. I looked at the soles of my shoes and they were hardly stained with dirt.
As I was hailing a bike to continue on my errand, I began to muse about the event that transpired and the Holy Spirit taught me some valuable lessons in following that I want to share with you. Here are some things I learned:
- There are designated paths to walk in. There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12). The path that seems right to you is not always the right path. There are paths that God has chosen for us which He calls paths of righteousness. In Psalm 23, the Lord tells us that He will lead us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. While following the Lord in these paths, we can be rest assured that no harm will come to us and that we are walking the right way. Then, even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we are convinced of sure delivery. God can lead a man on the right path.
- Emulation has its place in spiritual activity. In the body of Christ, there is no such thing as “copy-copy”. No one shames you for being an imitator. In fact, it is greatly encouraged. Our mentors, fathers in the faith, and the great cloud of witnesses before us want us to do what they did and surpass it. We should never be afraid to emulate good role models. Apostle Paul even urged believers at Corinth and Philippi to imitate him (1 Corinthians 4:16, Philippians 4:9). You should never be afraid to emulate someone who is following Christ. God can lead you through a man in the right paths.
Imitate me, therefore, as I imitate Christ.1 CORINTHIANS 11:1
- If someone else has done it before, you can do it too. Sometimes, you never know you’re capable of something until someone else has done it. Just as all my hesitation was wiped away when I saw the man doing what I thought was so difficult, so also when we see that others have gone before us on a path, we are more encouraged to attempt that path.
- You’re less likely to get it wrong if you’re following someone doing the right thing. Everyone is doing something in some way. But, the person to emulate is one that you have discerned doing the right thing. If you walk in the steps of a man who does unjust things, you will reap the rewards of a man who does unjust things. There is a need for discernment in emulation.
Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you.PHILIPPIANS 3:17
- When you’re unsure, it’s okay to stop where you are and examine for footprints. Needing help and assurance is never a bad thing. In fact, we are encouraged in the word to look out for the paths where men have trodden before.
Thus says the LORD:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’JEREMIAH 6:16 (ESV)
It is possible to walk in a good way if you are patient enough to observe where others have successfully walked before. We can make it to the other side through careful observation and asking for help where necessary.
With these few lessons, I was able to summarize that a man can and should be led. He also can and should be led by men who are led by God. In all our doings – prayer, fasting, evangelism, working of miracles, an outworking of good character, conduct at home, conduct in the workplace, academic pursuits, etc., there are worthy examples for us to emulate. We can look at the lives of the great cloud of witnesses in the Bible, renowned and respected men of God, our local pastors, and even our Godly parents, and match our feet to where they have left prints for us in the paths of righteousness.
All nouns and pronouns used to refer to my Father, YHWH – who is God of gods and King of Kings – are capitalized for ease of reading and referencing.
I am a believer in the creation and design of an extremely intricate and complex universe. I believe that the intelligent lifeform to whom the wondrous work of the universe is attributed is YHWH, who I have seen through His Son Jesus Christ. I believe in the Lordship of YHWH who is Father, Son, and Spirit. I believe Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father (and Heaven). I believe in the efficacy of the Holy Bible.
At the time of writing this, I have been with Christ for five years. He has marked my life and He is written all over me. My thoughts and expressions are influenced by my beliefs and choices.