they paddled and how they finished, and copy their technique.” Instead, though, the writer of Hebrews was talking to us about how to live the Christian life, and he said this, “Remember your leaders who taught God’s message to you. Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). As we go through life, there will be times when we are unsure of the “waters” ahead. The Bible reminds us that when we are unsure of the way to take, that we can look to those who have gone before us; those who have studied the Bible longer than us; those who have “paddled those waters before.” I love at the end of that verse how we are reminded to “copy their faith.” We should try to imitate the way that they live. It’s important to mention though that not everyone is qualified to be copied. Just like not everyone is qualified to give advice on how to navigate the Hudson River. If Sandy had started giving advice that was contrary to things we knew to be true already, then we would probably have hesitated to listen and heed her advice. Or if in our initial conversation we discovered that this was also her first time down the river then that would have made any advice she gave less vital. In the same way, as we go through this life and look for people to imitate or copy, we want to look for individuals who are knowledgeable about the Bible, and whose advice is always consistent with what the Bible teaches. Just like how we sort of “interviewed” Sandy before we trusted her advice, you too can do a little interview before you start to copy someone’s faith. Ask them about their life experiences and how they make decisions; listen for how the Bible and the church influenced them. Ask them for some advice moving forward and again see if the Bible seems to be their main guide If it is, then they are someone who is probably worth copying. If their experience lacks the influence of the Scriptures and the church, or if they are living contrary to Biblical truths,
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